Ever since the election, I’d been thinking that Milikin might be out as speaker, and David Akin confirms a movement is afoot to replace him:

Now, here’s an interesting little conspiracy theory advanced to me this afternoon by a smart and enthusiastic Hill staffer: The Conservatives may be interested in seeing anyone — even another Liberal – take the Speaker’s job, so long as it’s not Milliken. Here’s why: Milliken has been the speaker for seven years and it’s his dream job. Wily Conservatives though may be betting that if Milliken was deprived of his dream job, he might quit as an MP. After all, he was hinting during the last election campaign that this run would be his last. So, without the Speaker’s job to keep him in Ottawa, some Tories think he might just up and vacate his seat of Kingston and the Islands, which Milliken and the Liberals have held since 1988. Milliken beat out Flora MacDonald who had held the seat for the Progressive Conservatives since 1972.

While I’m sure “crushing someone’s dream” is the reason for about half the decisions made in Ottawa, there is actually a good case to be made for removing Milikin. Simply put, decorum in the House has descended to a putrid level and, although Milikin may not be solely responsible for this, as the speaker he deserves at least some of the blame.