Article content“It’s my intention to not just to be a presiding officer, but also to dig into the things that we’re doing in the House: the rules and legislation that govern the House to see if there are improvements that can be made that would lend itself to better decorum, more openness, more transparency and also just to bring more dignity and respect to the House,” said Lane. Article content“And to engage with the public and with young people in our province, so that they understand the importance of the House, the functioning of the House, the importance of our democracy and the importance of getting out to vote.” Article content Paul Lane is the independent MHA for Mount Pearl-Southlands. Photo by Keith Gosse /Keith GosseArticle contentConstituency support Article contentIt will be a different sight to see Lane as Speaker of the House instead of his usual role as an MHA, bringing issues to the floor and debating issues with his fellow MHAs. Article contentLane says issues that are important to the people who elected him to represent the district of Mount Pearl-Southlands will still be effectively addressed. Article contentArticle contentHe said he’s confident his constituents know they are his top priority and that his constituency office will continue to operate for them as it always has. Article content“I will still be visible and involved in my community as I always have and, while I may not have the ability to actually raise issues in the House Assembly in the traditional way that I did as a sitting member who’s not the Speaker, there will be avenues available where I can meet directly with the premier and his staff and to meet with ministers and so on to be able to ensure that any of the larger district issues can get brought forward to the government directly,” said Lane. Article content‘Did not change the dynamic one iota’ Article contentSome may view that Lane’s election as Speaker of the House may weaken the Opposition, should the Liberals try to gather support of the New Democratic Party and independent MHAs on an issue, and strengthen the slim PC majority. Article contentArticle contentLane doesn’t see that as an issue, like it was in 2019, at all. Article content“I’m not going to make my decisions based on what’s best for any particular political party anyway,” he said frankly. Article content“Whether I took the Speaker or I didn’t take the Speaker, the governing PCs would still have a majority. So, nothing has changed in that regard.” Article contentLane acknowledged that becoming Speaker of the House may give the Tories a bit more breathing room when it comes to voting, but said the government would undoubtedly ensure it had enough votes present to pass any crucial legislation and not expose itself to losing a vote in the House of Assembly. Article content“I did not change the dynamic one iota, really, by being Speaker,” he said. Article contentInstead, he views this as an important historic moment for Newfoundland and Labrador politics. Article content“The role of Speaker is supposed to be fair, impartial, non-partisan, and so on,” said Lane. “I think, for the first time in our history in Newfoundland Labrador, we actually have a truly independent speaker, with no ties to any political party, which I would view as a positive thing because there is no real or perception, of any kind, of political bias one way or the other, which is the way it’s supposed to be and should be anyway.” Article content
Mr. Speaker: Paul Lane becomes NLs newest Speaker of the House
