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INSIDE THE VILLAGE: Is decorum dead in the House of Commons?

This week on the podcast: Northern Ontario MP Anthony Rota — known as Mr. Speaker on Parliament Hill — explains what it's really like to be democracy's version of a home-plate umpire

Welcome back to Inside the Village, a one-of-a-kind podcast where all news is local — and no topic is off-limits.

On this week’s episode: We speak with Mr. Speaker.

Anthony Rota — the Member of Parliament for Nipissing-Timiskaming, and the 37th Speaker of the House of Commons — has a very important job: ensuring everyone behaves inside the Chamber.

Not surprisingly, Rota takes his role extremely seriously. In a wide-ranging conversation with Inside the Village, he talks about the current state of decorum inside the House of Commons, how he helps MPs of all stripes pursue common ground, and how he juggles his role as both impartial referee and champion for his local constituents.

Our interview was recorded the day before Prime Minister Trudeau unveiled a major cabinet shuffle, triggered in part by the fact that some high-profile Liberals have chosen not to run in the next election.

Will Rota have his name on the next ballot? We asked him that, too.

Hosted by Scott Sexsmith and Michael Friscolanti, the Editor-in-Chief of Village Media, Inside the Village is a news and current affairs podcast that provides a weekly window into some of the best local journalism from across our chain of Ontario newsrooms. Produced by Derek Turner, the program also explores bigger-picture issues that impact people across the province.

Every episode is available HERE. If you prefer the audio version, it is available wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

Have something to say? You can reach us at [email protected].

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