How to be an effective speaker.

• Author: Bissonnet, Michel

In this article the author, drawing upon twenty-seven years experience as an MLA and five years as presiding officer, offers some thoughts on the qualities required to preside over Assembly proceedings, direct legislative services and represent the Legislature in interparliamentary relations.

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Is there a specific formula for being a good Speaker? I would say both Yes and No. There are certainly a few essential ingredients but they have to be used carefully in just the right amounts, adjusting to the various situations that arise along the way. This is true for the three roles Speakers play. The key ingredients include neutrality, impartiality, respect, tact, understanding, being a good listener, balance, a sense of what makes people tick, sensitivity and sometimes humour, but also firmness, order, authority and determination. In other words, an iron hand in a velvet glove. And so that there be no doubt whatsoever as to one's neutrality or impartiality, it is wise to totally refrain from participating in partisan politics, even in one's own riding.

Simply put, certain intrinsic human qualities are essential for an effective speakership, but the position also requires a lot of on-the-job training. You need to be very familiar with the unique world of politics and to always keep in mind that the individuals over whom you exercise authority have all been elected by their constituents, and thus deserve respect. You must also never forget that MNAs are vulnerable in the sense that people are always trying to catch them in a mistake. The Speaker must be careful not to add to that pressure. It is undeniable that human relationships in a parliament are coloured by the context of political confrontation. In other words, when faced with a difficult situation, the Speaker must simply act as a good father or mother would and rely on "good old common sense". I must say that my experience as caucus chair provided good training in that respect. During caucus meetings--and even more so if the party is in power--Members must be given complete freedom to voice their viewpoint and sometimes their disagreement. The caucus chair must arbitrate between the majority caucus position and that of cabinet, since they are not always compatible.

Although wisdom is needed in all the roles of the office of Speaker, it is paramount in the Speaker's primary role, that of presiding over the proceedings of the Assembly. This is undoubtedly the role in which the Speaker is the most vulnerable, since, like a referee, he or she must apply formal rules to a political debating "match" in which the objective is to score points against one's opponents. In such a context the Speaker is often caught between a rock and a hard place; he or she must avoid "stealing the show" but still ensure that the basic rules of decorum are observed. After all...