In
Canada, the 'Dean of the House' is the Member of the
House of Commons with the longest unbroken record of service who is not a member of cabinet. The Dean is responsible for presiding over the election of the
Speaker of the House of Commons at the beginning of each Parliament. The position is the equivalent of the
Father of the House in the
British House of Commons.
The current Dean of the House is the
Honourable Rev. Bill Blaikie of the
New Democratic Party, who has sat in the House continuously since 1979.
The title is apparently taken from that of the
Dean of the United States House of Representatives, a similar job with similar qualifications, currently held by
John Dingell.