Former Liberal MP and Speaker of the House Peter Milliken retired earlier this year after serving 23 years as an MP, the last 10 as Speaker.
Peter was the eldest of seven children born in the Milliken family, descendants of United Empire Loyalists that settled the area north of present day Kingston following the American Revolution. Like his own grandparents and parents, Peter attended Queen’s University and earned his law degree at Dalhousie.
In 1988, Peter ran as the Liberal candidate against Flora MacDonald, a high profile member of Mulroney’s cabinet who had held the riding since 1972. To Peter’s surprise he won and although he never made it to cabinet during the Chretien years, he did become Deputy Speaker in 1997 and was elected Speaker in 2001 after the retirement of Gib Parent.
For seven of his ten years as Speaker of the House, Milliken was presiding over minority governments and was the only speaker ever to decide a confidence vote. Catherine Clark spoke to Peter Milliken at his home outside of Kingston.
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