Every vote counts: how the House Speaker factors in Carney’s majority math

By parliamentary convention, the Speaker only votes in the event of a tie. At the moment, after two floor crossers to the Liberals, the government holds 171 votes, and the opposition collectively has 172.

Speaker of the House Francis Scarpaleggia enters Commons' foyer for the parliamentary session's inaugural Question Period on May 28, 2025. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Feature

BY PETER MAZEREEUW

December 16, 2025

Prime Minister Mark Carney is now just short of the seats he needs to form a majority government, and that's putting a spotlight on the role of the Speaker of the House of Commons.

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