The Speaker is usually a member of the governing party. The only exceptions have been Jack Stokes, Nelson Parliament and Hugh Edighoffer. Stokes was the NDP MPP for Lake Nipigon, and was named Speaker by Progressive Conservative Premier Bill Davis. Davis was elected to lead a minority government and having an opposition MPP as Speaker was a means of denying the opposition one vote (as the Speaker only votes in the occasion of a tie and then must vote by precedent). Neson Parliament was a Liberal who became Speaker when the United Farmers of Ontario formed government as the entire UFO/Labour caucus were freshly elected with no legislative experience. As a result the Premier, E.C. Drury, looked to the opposition benches for a Speaker. Upon becoming Speaker, Parliament resigned from the Liberal caucus and sat without party affiliation. While this is the normal practice in the British House of Commons, it is the only time it has happened in Ontario.
There are four candidates for the position of Speaker in the 40th Ontario legislature, held after the 2011 provincial election returned a minority Liberal government. A fifth candidate, Progressive Conservative MPP Frank Klees withdrew after his bid failed to receive sufficient support from either side of the aisle.
Legislature |
Speaker by Order of Election |
Speaker |
Party[note 1] |
Term Began |
Term Ended |
Term Length |
1 |
1 |
Stevenson, John |
Conservative |
27 December 1867 |
7 December 1871 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000345000000345 days |
2 |
2 |
Scott, Richard William |
Liberal |
7 December 1871 |
21 December 1871 |
&100000000000000000000000 years, &1000000000000001400000014 days |
2 |
3 |
Currie, James George |
Liberal |
21 December 1871 |
29 March 1873 |
&100000000000000010000001 year, &1000000000000009800000098 days |
2, 3 |
4 |
Wells, Rupert Mearse |
Liberal |
7 January 1874 |
7 January 1880 |
&100000000000000060000006 years, &100000000000000000000000 days |
4, 5 |
5 |
Clarke, Charles J. P.[note 2] |
Liberal |
7 January 1880 |
10 February 1887 |
&100000000000000070000007 years, &1000000000000003400000034 days |
6 |
6 |
Baxter, Jacob |
Liberal |
10 February 1887 |
11 February 1891 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &100000000000000010000001 day |
7 |
7 |
Ballantyne, Thomas |
Liberal |
11 February 1891 |
21 February 1895 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &1000000000000001000000010 days |
8 |
8 |
Balfour, William Douglas |
Liberal |
21 February 1895 |
14 July 1896 |
&100000000000000010000001 year, &10000000000000144000000144 days |
8, 9 |
9 |
Evanturel, Francis Eugene Alfred |
Liberal |
10 February 1897 |
10 March 1903 |
&100000000000000060000006 years, &10000000000000239000000239 days |
10 |
10 |
Charlton, William Andrew |
Liberal |
10 March 1903 |
22 March 1905 |
&100000000000000020000002 years, &1000000000000001200000012 days |
11 |
11 |
St. John, Joseph Wesley |
Conservative |
22 March 1905 |
7 April 1907 |
&100000000000000020000002 years, &1000000000000001600000016 days |
11, 12 |
12 |
Crawford, Thomas |
Conservative |
8 April 1907 |
7 February 1912 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &10000000000000306000000306 days |
13 |
13 |
Hoyle, William Henry |
Conservative |
7 February 1912 |
16 February 1915 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &100000000000000090000009 days |
14 |
14 |
Jamieson, David |
Conservative |
16 February 1915 |
9 March 1920 |
&100000000000000050000005 years, &1000000000000002200000022 days |
15 |
15 |
Parliament, Nelson |
Liberal[note 3] |
9 March 1920 |
6 February 1924 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000334000000334 days |
16 |
16 |
Thompson, Joseph Elijah |
Conservative |
6 February 1924 |
2 February 1927 |
&100000000000000020000002 years, &10000000000000361000000361 days |
17 |
17 |
Black, William David |
Conservative |
2 February 1927 |
5 February 1930 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &100000000000000030000003 days |
18 |
18 |
Kidd, Thomas Ashmore |
Conservative |
5 February 1930 |
20 February 1935 |
&100000000000000050000005 years, &1000000000000001500000015 days |
19, 20 |
19 |
Hipel, Norman Otto |
Liberal |
20 February 1935 |
2 September 1938 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000194000000194 days |
20 |
20 |
Clark, James Howard |
Liberal |
8 March 1939 |
22 February 1944 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &10000000000000351000000351 days |
21, 22 |
21 |
Stewart, William James |
Conservative |
22 February 1944 |
21 March 1947 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &1000000000000002700000027 days |
22 |
22 |
Hepburn, James de Congalton |
Conservative |
24 March 1947 |
10 February 1949 |
&100000000000000010000001 year, &10000000000000323000000323 days |
23, 24 |
23 |
Davies, Myrddyn Cooke |
Conservative |
10 February 1949 |
8 September 1955 |
&100000000000000060000006 years, &10000000000000210000000210 days |
25 |
24 |
Downer, Alfred |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
8 September 1955 |
26 January 1960 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &10000000000000140000000140 days |
26 |
25 |
Murdoch, William |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
26 January 1960 |
29 October 1963 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000276000000276 days |
27 |
26 |
Morrow, Donald Hugo |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
29 October 1963 |
14 February 1968 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &10000000000000108000000108 days |
28 |
27 |
Cass, Frederick McIntosh |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
14 February 1968 |
13 December 1971 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000302000000302 days |
29 |
28 |
Reuter, Allan Edward |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
13 December 1971 |
22 October 1974 |
&100000000000000020000002 years, &10000000000000313000000313 days |
29, 30, 31 |
29 |
Rowe, Russell Daniel |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
22 October 1974 |
17 October 1977 |
&100000000000000020000002 years, &10000000000000360000000360 days |
31 |
30 |
Stokes, John Edward "Jack" |
New Democratic Party (NDP) |
17 October 1977 |
21 April 1981 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000186000000186 days |
32 |
31 |
Turner, John M. |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
21 April 1981 |
4 June 1985 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &1000000000000004400000044 days |
33, 34 |
32 |
Edighoffer, Hugh Alden |
Liberal |
4 June 1985 |
19 November 1990 |
&100000000000000050000005 years, &10000000000000168000000168 days |
35 |
33 |
Warner, David William |
New Democratic Party (NDP) |
19 November 1990 |
26 September 1995 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &10000000000000311000000311 days |
36 |
34 |
McLean, Al |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
26 September 1995 |
26 September 1996 |
&100000000000000010000001 year, &100000000000000000000000 days |
36 |
35 |
Doyle, Edward |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
26 September 1996 |
3 October 1996 |
&100000000000000000000000 years, &100000000000000070000007 days |
36 |
36 |
Stockwell, Chris |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
3 October 1996 |
20 October 1999 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &1000000000000001700000017 days |
37 |
37 |
Carr, Gary |
Progressive Conservative (PC) |
20 October 1999 |
19 November 2003 |
&100000000000000040000004 years, &1000000000000003000000030 days |
38 |
38 |
Curling, Alvin |
Liberal |
19 November 2003 |
19 August 2005 |
&100000000000000010000001 year, &10000000000000326000000326 days |
38 |
39 |
Brown, Michael A. |
Liberal |
11 October 2005 |
28 November 2007 |
&100000000000000020000002 years, &1000000000000004800000048 days |
39 |
40 |
Peters, Stephen |
Liberal |
28 November 2007 |
6 October 2011 |
&100000000000000030000003 years, &10000000000000348000000348 days |