OTTAWA, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- Anthony Rota was elected speaker of Canada's House of Commons, defeating four other members of the Parliament in a secret ballot on Thursday.
Rota, a Liberal MP from eastern Ontario, is the first Italian-Canadian to hold the position in Canadian history.
Upon taking the speaker's chair, Rota vowed to be impartial and work on improving the order in the House.
The speaker's duty is to be the impartial interpreter of the written and unwritten rules and traditions of the House of Commons, maintain order in the chamber, and defend the rights and privileges of MPs, including the right to the freedom of speech.
The speaker is also head of the House of Commons Administration and is responsible for its overall direction and management. The speaker also serves as the spokesperson for the House of Commons in its relations with the Senate, the Crown, and other bodies outside Canadian Parliament.
