NDP MP Denise Savoie enters Speaker's race

Denise Savoie, who was assistant deputy Speaker in the previous Parliament, confirmed in a press release Friday she will be on the ballot for the June 2 election of Speaker of the House of Commons. She joins Conservatives Andrew Scheer, Barry Devolin, Merv Tweed, Lee Richardson and Dean Allison on the list of MPs who have either indicated or are expected to run.

Here is the full text of the press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                          
MAY 20, 2011

SAVOIE TO RUN FOR SPEAKER

Focus on civility and decorum, to restore Canadians' faith in Parliament

VICTORIA - Victoria MP Denise Savoie announced today that her name will stand for election as Speaker of the House of Commons.

"I'm running for Speaker with a singular focus on raising the tone and quality of debate in Parliament, to restore the trust that Canadians deserve to have in their politicians and democratic institutions," said Savoie.

As Assistant Deputy Speaker in the last Parliament Savoie launched a number of explicitly non-partisan initiatives aimed at fostering constructive and informed discussion on important topics, including workshops on climate change and the first all-party Parliamentary Arts Caucus.

"I'm asking my fellow MPs to imagine a Parliament that functions well - where debate is not focused on scoring points, but rather on creating better, more inclusive public policy," said Savoie.

As a fluently bilingual Franco-Manitoban who has lived in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and now in British Columbia, Savoie brings a pan-Canadian perspective to the Speaker's Chair.