Quebec MP elected as new House of Commons Speaker [Video]

Quebec Liberal MP Francis Scarpaleggia was elected Speaker of the House of Commons on Monday — after an unusually dramatic race that saw the only Conservative contenders drop out of the running at the last minute.

Conservative MPs Chris d’Entremont and John Nater both put their names forward but withdrew on the House floor before the election began Monday morning.

The Liberals currently have 169 seats in the minority Parliament, leaving them three seats shy of the 172 required for a majority.

Electing a Liberal MP as a Speaker takes another vote away from the governing party, adding to the difficulties it faces in pushing its agenda through Parliament.

Members cast their ballots Monday morning by preferential secret ballot in a vote presided over by Louis Plamondon, currently the longest-serving MP.

In his speech to the House making his pitch for the job, Scarpaleggia compared adjudicating parliamentary proceedings to hockey. …