Hon. Mildred Dover, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of PEI, will be unveiling a commemorative display at Province House to acknowledge the contributions of past Speakers of the Legislative Assembly. "When I became Speaker back in May, 2000," Speaker Dover said, "I was immediately struck by the absence in Province House of any formal acknowledgment of the significant contributions of past Speakers of our historic Legislative Assembly since Confederation." The display will incorporate the new Prince Edward Island Coat of Arms and the Parliamentary Mace. In addition, the display will be accompanied by a book containing the biographies of past Speakers of the House since Prince Edward Island joined Confederation in 1873.
Dover said that the role of Speaker in this Province is not particularly well understood. "Speakers perform a very important and responsible role and are elected by a secret ballot by all Members after general elections. The Speaker, for example, is fourth in the Provincial Order of Precedence – following the Lieutenant Governor, Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Speaker also accepts the considerable responsibility of representing the Legislative Assembly on behalf of all Members, fairly and impartially presiding over legislative debates and the administration of the House, and protecting the privileges of all Members, regardless of political party affiliation. This can sometimes be a difficult task...in fact, one former Speaker told me that as long as everybody in the House was angry at you, and not just one side, then you know you are doing your job!" Speaker Dover went on to say that, "I have tremendous admiration for former Speakers who took on this role, and I wanted to recognize their significant contributions in some way. I guess this display is just a small way of showing my appreciation and, at the same time, serving Islanders by promoting a better understanding of the role of the Speaker, the role of their Legislative Assembly, and the importance of maintaining a vibrant and effective House."
Expected to be in attendance are Hon. J. Léonce Bernard, Lieutenant Governor; former Speakers of the Island House: Hon. Marion Reid, Edward Clark, Nancy Guptill, and Wilbur MacDonald (all of whom will be participating in the unveiling of the display); Members and Officers of the Legislative Assembly; representatives of Parks Canada; and others.
Interested public and the media are invited and encouraged to attend the unveiling at a special ceremony scheduled in the Lecture Theatre, 1st Floor Province House, at 12:30 pm on June 27.