Speaker Milliken To Step Down? Thought He Enjoyed The Job

I read about this earlier today from a few blogging supposiTories.  A few commenters even venture that he could be the new Governor General to replace Michaelle Jean, but I find that highly unlikely as Steve will choose a hyperpartisan evangelical to do his bidding for him like his former mentor & boss, Preston Manning.

Milliken, apparently, has called a press conference after his annual barbecue he holds for supporters and it is said that he never calls press conferences after one of his shindigs or ever for that matter. Even when he runs for re-election, he makes a written announcement. According to The Kingston Whig Standard earlier today, no one was commenting.

Now, CanWest is saying he is expected to announce that he is indeed stepping down as speaker of the House of Commons.  Apparently, he will remain as MP and Speaker until the writ is dropped.  Hence, another reason why I don’t think he will be appointed as Steve’s door mat.

The job comes with the perks of a country estate and an apartment in the Centre Block. But it is considered a taxing post, and Milliken has had to deal with many squabbles — large and small — during tenure, which has included three back-to-back minority governments.

I can only imagine what these last sessions of parliament might have done to his sanity.  However, I’m actually surprised. I always had the impression this was a job he enjoyed.  I figured that was why he gave latitude to Stevie Spiteful in his ruling over the Afghan detainee documents. You know, not to pull a Linda Keen or a Richard Colvin?

This leads me to wonder;  is there anything more to this resignation?