On Nov. 18, we learned which of the more than 300 parliamentarians in the House of Commons stands tall among their peers as models for the chamber in which they sit. For the eighth year, Maclean’s presented the Parliamentarians of the Year Awards that honour eight MPs: the hardest working, the best constituency representative, the most collegial, the most knowledgeable, the rising star, the best orator and, the big winner of the night, the parliamentarian of the year. We also bestow a lifetime achievement award on a worthy MP who made a difference in the House of Commons.
The remarkable part about all of the night’s winners is that they voted for each other. Every MP had a chance to cast ballots for any of their colleagues. They voted within their party. They voted across the aisle. They lay down their swords and, for a time, celebrated each other. Our photo gallery and (formerly) liveblog below captured the scene. Read our profiles of this year’s winners, penned by the Maclean’s Ottawa bureau.
The gallery
Photographer Blair Gable and editor John Rathwell snapped photos all evening. Here’s a selection of their work. Check out the (formerly) liveblog below for the rest.