The Speaker's chair sits empty in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 3, 2015. (iPolitics/Matthew Usherwood)

At least five MPs are campaigning to be Speaker of the House of Commons.

Electing the Speaker will be the first order of business when the House returns Dec. 5.

Incumbent Speaker Geoff Regan, a Liberal MP, is interested in the role he held during the 42nd Parliament.

Speaker’s Office spokesperson Heather Bradley told iPolitics in an email that Regan would “welcome the opportunity to place his experience as Speaker at the service of the House of Commons, and will therefore be letting his name stand as a candidate for the position of Speaker.”

Instead of interested MPs putting their names forward, members are listed as candidates unless they request that their name be removed before a deadline of the prior day to the vote. Party leaders and cabinet members are not allowed to be Speaker.

Those interested in the job are allowed to give a five-minute speech in the Chamber to persuade their colleagues why they should be the one to preside over the House.

PROCESS NERD: Considering a run for the speaker’s chair? Read this first

Conservative MP Joël Godin told iPolitics that he will leave his name in for the Speaker’s role.

“The reason for me why I’m best choice … I can work with other MPs in the other parties,” he said. “I think I’m the best MP for protecting the rights for all MPs.”

Liberal MP Anthony Rota and Conservative MP Bruce Stanton told the Globe and Mail they are each interested in the Speaker’s job. NDP MP Carol Hughes also told The Hill Times she is interested in the role.

Each of them held Speaker roles in House during the 42nd Parliament: Stanton was Deputy Speaker, while both Rota and Hughes held the position of Assistant Deputy Speaker.

The Speaker is responsible for regulating debate and preserving order in the House in accordance with its standing orders — a task Canadians are most familiar with in daily Question Period sessions. He or she must also defend the rights and privileges accorded to elected members in the chamber.

The Speaker is tasked with interpreting parliamentary rules and traditions in making rulings, meaning masterful knowledge of the House’s procedure and practices is required. He or she must act impartially in the role and only votes in the event of a tie.

Being elected Speaker offers an $85,000 salary bump from the base rate of $178,900 for MPs, a modest apartment on Parliament Hill, and use of the official residence located in Gatineau, Que., a four-acre country estate called The Farm.

Lesser known is that the Speaker is responsible for directing and managing the House administration and chairing the Board of Internal Economy (BOIE) — the committee of MPs that forms the governing body of the House. The BOIE only started holding meetings in public during the last parliamentary session.

The board makes decisions concerning the House’s financial and operating matters concerning its premises, services, staff, security and members.

The Speaker also oversees the House budget, worth $506 million in 2018-19, and fulfils various diplomatic obligations with other legislatures, either provincially and territorially or with elected bodies in other countries.

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