Flamborough – Glanbrook Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Donna Skelly was recently chosen as the Ontario Legislature’s first female Speaker after putting her name forward for consideration.
The announcement was made after a secret vote by all members of the legislature resulted in Skelly’s election as Speaker.
In a press scrum following the vote, Skelly said, “It’s a proud moment. I’m very honoured to be elected. I know a lot of people put their faith in me to help them through the next four years. But to be the first woman is incredible. It’s very, very special.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford also commented to the press, calling the moment “historic.”
“It’s amazing that we have a woman as a Speaker, and I’m actually shocked that it’s taken this long to happen, but we’re glad we’re the first government to have a woman Speaker,” he continued.
In Canada, Legislatures elect a Speaker from among their members at the beginning of every Parliament.
That person is chosen to be a neutral, non-partisan representative who presides over meetings and enforces the rules of the Legislature.
The Speaker also serves a ceremonial and diplomatic role by welcoming visiting dignitaries to the Legislative Building and representing the Legislature across Canada and around the world.
While Speakers can remain part of a political party when they are elected, they do not attend party caucus meetings or political events, do not cast votes in the House unless there is a tied vote, and do not participate in debates.
Ontario NDP MPP Jennifer French, who has represented the riding of Oshawa since 2014, was the only other person who put their name forward to run for the role.
Skelly, who was born in Northern Ontario but later moved to Hamilton, entered politics after a 30-year career in broadcast journalism, including with CHCH TV.
She first ran for the Ontario PC Party in the 2011 Ontario election in the riding of Ancaster – Dundas – Flamborough – Westdale but lost out to then Liberal candidate Ted McMeekin.
Skelly ran again in 2014 but also lost out to McMeekin.
She then ran for Hamilton City Council in 2016, where she won and represented the city’s Ward 7.
The runner-up in that race was John-Paul Danko.
But that was short-lived, as Skelly then ran for the Ontario PC Party again in 2018 in the newly created riding of Flamborough – Glanbrook and won that election, the 2022 election, and the recent 2025 election.
In the last Parliament, Skelly served as Deputy Speaker, filling in for Speaker Ted Arnott as needed.
The Equal Voice Foundation, a registered charity seeking to improve gender representation in Canadian politics, joined Ford in calling Skelly’s election “historic.”
The group said in a press release that Skelly’s election also “marks a powerful step forward for gender representation in Canadian politics.”
Lindsay Brumwell, Interim Executive Director of Equal Voice, added that the announcement “is a proud and long-overdue moment for Ontario.”
“Women have long been leaders in their communities but have too often been underrepresented in the highest decision-making roles. The election of Donna Skelly as Ontario’s first female Speaker breaks new ground and sends a clear message that progress is not only possible – it is happening,” she concluded.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
