Mauril Blanger to be honorary Speaker for House of Commons

Mauril Blangerwill berecognizedby his colleagues in the House of Commons as anhonorary Speaker.

Fellow Ottawa MP and Government WhipAndrew Lesliepresentedamotion Thursday following question period, as family members and friends of Blangerlooked on from the visitor's gallery.

Leslie's motion said Blangerwill sit in the Speaker's chair ona dayyet to be determined.

The Liberal MP was considered a frontrunner in last week's Speaker's race until his unexpected diagnosis with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

His caucuscolleague, Geoff Regan, won the Speakerelection last Thursday. But several MPs, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and fellow candidate Yasmin Ratansi,spoke movingly of Blanger'sservice to the Commons and noted that he would have made a fine Speaker.

Blanger encountered difficulty speaking during this fall's election campaign, but was not diagnosed with ALS until November.

The disease, which takes its name from the famed baseball player who was stricken with the disease in the prime of his career, causes a person to lose control of their muscles.The average life expectancy after diagnosis isthree to five years.

The honour would be the latest show of support for the long-servingLiberal, first elected to Parliament in a 1995 byelection.

'Distinguished member'

When the Liberal caucus met prior to the opening of Parliamentlast Wednesday,Trudeau walked in with Blanger in a visible show of support.

Trudeau walks with MP diagnosed with ALS into the government caucus meeting

9 years ago

Duration 0:25

Long time Ottawa MP Mauril Belanger went public with his ALS diagnosis this week and the Prime Minister walked with him into caucus as a show of support

During last Friday's ceremonies for the speech from the throne, Blanger walked in justbehind the Speaker, symbolically leadingthe parade of MPs down the hall to the Senate.

Monday, the OttawaVanier MP received a standing ovationduring the first question period of the newParliamentto ask about an issue has been engaged with:the deportation of citizens to Burundi, an unstablecountry with ongoing security concerns. His speech appearedlaboured,but he retained his composure, whilecolleagues seated around him showed more emotion.

Rising to respond, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said he was "delighted" to answer hisfirst question in his latest cabinetportfolio from "that distinguished member."

Blanger, who served as a cabinet minister under previous Liberal governments, is already a privy councillor and so can use the honorific "Honourable" before his name, which also comes with election to the Speaker's post.