Andrew Scheer
 |
Andrew Scheer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 35th Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons | |
| In office June 2, 2011 – December 3, 2015 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor General | David Johnston |
| Prime Minister | Stephen Harper |
| Preceded by | Peter Milliken |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons | |
| Assumed office November 18, 2015 | |
| Leader | Rona Ambrose |
| Preceded by | Peter Julian |
| Member of Parliament for Regina—Qu'Appelle | |
| Assumed office June 28, 2004 | |
| Preceded by | Lorne Nystrom |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 20, 1979 Ottawa, Ontario |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Spouse | Jill Scheer |
| Children | 5 (Thomas, Grace, Madeline, Henry, and Mary) |
| Residence | Regina, Saskatchewan |
| Profession | MP's personal assistant, Insurance broker |
Andrew Scheer (born May 20, 1979) is a Canadian Member of Parliament (MP) and the Speaker of the House of Commons.[1]Cite error: The <ref> tag has too many names (see the help page). At age 32, he became the youngest person to serve in this capacity in Canadian parliamentary history.[2]
Early life and career
Scheer was born in Ottawa, Ontario, the son of Mary Gerarda Theresa (Enright) and James Paul David "Jim" Scheer, a deacon.[3][4] He graduated from Immaculata High School, and then studied history and politics at the University of Ottawa. While attending university, Scheer worked in the correspondence department of the Office of the Leader of the Opposition (OLO). He moved to Regina after meeting his future wife Jill at university and finished his BA at the University of Regina. Instead of returning to Ottawa, Scheer worked at Shenher Insurance for six months before joining the constituency office of a Canadian Alliance MP, Larry Spencer in Regina—Lumsden—Lake Centre.
First years in the House of Commons
Scheer was elected as a Conservative candidate in the federal election of 2004 in the riding of Regina—Qu'Appelle, beating New Democratic Party MP Lorne Nystrom by 861 votes. At the time Nystrom had been the longest-serving member of the House of Commons. Scheer was re-elected in the federal election of 2006, once again defeating Nystrom, this time by a margin of 2,740 votes.
In April 2006, Scheer was named Assistant Deputy Chairman of Committees of the Whole, one of three deputy speakers and one of the youngest Members of Parliament to serve in that role in Commonwealth history. On November 21, 2008, he was named Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons and Chairman of Committees of the Whole,[5] succeeding New Democrat MP Bill Blaikie.
Speaker of the House of Commons
When the Conservative Party won a majority at the federal election in 2011, Scheer's experience as Deputy Speaker led many to consider him the front-runner to be elected Speaker of the House of Commons.[6][7] On June 2, 2011, Scheer defeated Denise Savoie in the sixth round of balloting; he was the last of five Conservative candidates, with Savoie the lone opposition candidate and the only woman. Scheer became the youngest House Speaker in Canadian history[2] and the first speaker to represent a Saskatchewan riding.
Scheer was one of thirteen Canadians banned from travelling to Russia under retaliatory sanctions imposed by President Vladimir Putin in March 2014.[8]
Family
Andrew Scheer and his wife Jill have five children: Thomas, Grace, Madeline, Henry, and Mary.
References
- ^ "Profile". Parliament of Canada. July 17, 2015.
- ^ a b "MPs elect youngest Speaker". CBC News. June 2, 2011.
- ^ Brent Mattson. "The B.C. Catholic Paper - New Speaker of the House has never hidden his faith". rcav.org.
- ^ http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/e/n/r/Margaret-A-Enright-Ontario/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0118.html
- ^ Journal of the House of Commons of Canada, November 21, 2008.
- ^ ""Health Care Talks with Provinces Should Top Harper's List, Poll Finds". Globe and Mail. June 2, 2011.
Others on that list [of candidates for Speaker] – Saskatchewan Tory MP and perceived frontrunner Andrew Scheer [...]
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ ""NDP MP Aims to Be Second Female Speaker in History". National Post. May 21, 2011.
It's widely speculated, however, that a Conservative is going to get the position, and Andrew Scheer, who has served as Assistant Deputy Speaker and Deputy Speaker for more than five years, is considered the frontrunner.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ Susana Mas (March 24, 2013). ""Russian Sanctions Against Canadians a 'Badge of Honour'"". CBC News. Retrieved March 24, 2014.