as I became Speaker in 1986, I made a point of setting up a public information office to respond to requests and provide information about Parliament and how it functions.

If the institutions of parliamentary democracy are worth preserving, the duty to explain them to the people they are meant to serve becomes vitally important.

Debates must take place in an atmosphere of courtesy.

A careful and sympathetic sense of humour can also be a great asset when there is need to get out of difficult situations gracefully.

Question Period is not part of the legislative process,and has nothing to do with it. It is a means of monitoring the Executive that the Government cannot evade.

Democracy is not a form of government. It is a political philosophy that can be embodied in various systems of government.

On a craggy bluff above the majestic Ottawa River stands the remarkable embodiment of our system of governance: Parliament.