1. Swearing-In of New Members Swearing-In of the New

1. Swearing-in of new Members

Swearing-in of the new Member for Glenfaba, Mr Geoffrey George Boot

The Speaker: Hon. Members, the only Item on our Order Paper this morning is the swearing-in of the new Members of the House of Keys for Glenfaba and Peel. I call on the Secretary of the House to bring forward His Honour the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls and the Chief Registrar.

The Secretary: Members of the public, please rise.

The Secretary conducted the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls and the Chief Registrar into the Chamber.

The Speaker: Members of the public, please be seated. I now call upon the Secretary of the House to accompany the sponsors, the Hon. Member for Michael, Mr Cannan and the Hon. Member for Douglas North, Mr Peake, to bring forward the new Member of the House of Keys for Glenfaba.

Mr Boot was conducted to the Chief Registrar’s desk.

The First Deemster (His Honour David Doyle): There are two oaths this morning: there is the Oath of Allegiance and then the Oath administered to elected Members of the House of Keys. Are you content to take the Oath of Allegiance and are you content to have the Oath administered to elected Members of the House of Keys administered to you?

Mr Boot: Yes, thank you.

Tynwald 20/10/2015

The First Deemster: If you could take the book in your hand in respect of the Oath of Allegiance if you could read the words on the card. It is ‘I’, your full name and all the words on the card, please.

Mr Boot took the Oath of Allegiance as follows:

I, Geoffrey Boot, do swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her heirs and successors, so help me God.

The First Deemster: Thank you very much. I now turn to the Oath administered to elected Members of the House of Keys and I administer that Oath to you, Mr Boot, as follows:

Her Majesty’s counsel, your fellows’ and your own you shall not reveal. You shall use your best endeavours to maintain the ancient laws and customs of this Isle. You shall justly and truly deliver your opinion and do right in all matters which shall be put unto you, without favour or affection, affinity or consanguinity, love or fear, reward or gain, or for any hope thereof, but in all things you shall deal uprightly and justly and do wrong to no man, so help you God and by the contents of this book.

In a moment I will invite Mr Boot to sign an entry in the Liber Juramentorum, the public records of this Island, and that entry reads as follows:

At Douglas, 20th October 2015: On this day the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Elected Member of the House of Keys were administered to and taken by Geoffrey Boot, a Member of the House of Keys, he having been elected on 10th September 2015 under the writ issued by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor on 30th July 2015.

Mr Boot, if you are content with that entry, could I ask you to sign on the right-hand side for me, please?

Mr Boot signed the Liber Juramentorum.

The First Deemster: I will just witness that signature. Mr Speaker, I am content that the Oath of Allegiance has been duly taken by Mr Boot and that the Oath of Elected Member of the House of Keys has been duly administered to Mr Boot.

The Secretary: Mr Speaker, I present Mr Geoffrey Boot the Member for Glenfaba.

The Speaker: Mr Boot, welcome. Please hand me your Certificate of Election.

Mr Boot handed his Certificate of Election to the Speaker.

The Speaker: Mr Boot, I now invite you to sign the Standing Orders of this House.

The Secretary: Would you sign your name there, please.

Mr Boot signed the record of Standing Orders.

The Speaker: Mr Boot, congratulations, welcome. I now present you with your own copy of the Standing Orders. I now call on your sponsors to escort you back to your seat.

Mr Boot was escorted to his seat.

Tynwald 20/10/2015

Swearing-in of the new Member for Peel, Mr Raymond Karl Harmer

The Speaker: I now call upon the Secretary of the House to accompany the sponsors, the Hon. Member for Rushen, Mr Watterson and the Hon. Member for Douglas West, Mr Thomas, to bring forward the new Member of the House of Keys for Peel.

Mr Harmer was conducted to the Chief Registrar’s desk.

The First Deemster (His Honour David Doyle): We have the two oaths this morning: there is the Oath of Allegiance and then the Oath administered to elected Members of the House of Keys. Are you content to take the Oath of Allegiance and are you content to have the Oath administered to elected Members of the House of Keys administered to you?

Mr Harmer: Yes, I am.

The First Deemster: Thank you. I ask you to take the book in your hand in respect of the Oath of Allegiance and could you read the words on the card. It is ‘I’, your full name and all the words on the card, please. Thank you.

Mr Harmer took the Oath of Allegiance as follows:

I, Raymond Karl Harmer, do swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Her heirs and Her successors, so help me God.

The First Deemster: Thank you very much. I now turn to the Oath administered to elected Members of the House of Keys and I administer that Oath to you, Mr Harmer, as follows:

I will in a moment invite Mr Harmer to sign an entry in the Liber Juramentorum, the public records of this Island, and that entry reads as follows:

At Douglas, 20th October 2015: On this day the Oath of Allegiance and the Oath of Elected Member of the House of Keys were administered to and taken by Raymond Karl Harmer, a Member of the House of Keys, he having been elected on 10th September 2015 under the writ issued by His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor on 30th July 2015.

Mr Harmer, if you are content with that entry, could I invite you to sign the entry on the right- hand side of that document, please?

Mr Harmer signed the Liber Juramentorum.

The First Deemster: I will just witness that signature. Mr Speaker, I am content that Mr Harmer has taken the Oath of Allegiance and that the Oath of elected Member of the House of Keys has been duly administered to Mr Harmer.

Tynwald 20/10/2015

Mr Watterson: Mr Speaker, I present to you Mr Raymond Karl Harmer, new Member of the House of Keys for Peel.

The Speaker: Mr Harmer, welcome. Please hand me your Certificate of Election.

Mr Harmer handed his Certificate of Election to the Speaker.

The Speaker: Mr Harmer, I now invite you to sign the Standing Orders of this House.

The Secretary: Put your signature there. Thank you very much.

Mr Harmer signed the record of Standing Orders.

The Speaker: Congratulations, Mr Harmer. I now present you with your own copy of our Standing Orders. I call on the sponsors to escort Mr Harmer to his place in the House.

Mr Harmer was escorted to his seat.

Welcome to new Members

The Speaker: Mr Boot and Mr Harmer, may I welcome you to the House of Keys in your capacities as the new Hon. Members for the constituencies of Glenfaba and Peel respectively, and congratulate you on your election to the House by the people of your constituency. They have placed great confidence and faith in you to represent their interests, and indeed the interests of the whole Island, fairly and honourably. I have no doubt you will carry out your duties and responsibilities to your constituents and to this House to the highest standards of integrity and that you will ensure that the people of your constituency and the Island as a whole are served to the best of your ability in a fair, open and transparent manner. The prime task of this House is to legislate on behalf of the people of the Isle of Man. Like the countless men and women who were here before us, we are in this place to persuade, to argue and debate the laws of the land by which we all live. This will give you great satisfaction, but undoubtedly bring challenge, frustration and disappointment in equal measure, but you will bring to the benefit of this forum, I am confident, your own particular experience of commerce and public life in the Isle of Man. As an elected representative of the people, I can guarantee you will face pressures like no other; strength of resolution will certainly be required to make the right and true decisions. In the words of the great 19th-century English historian Lord Macaulay, ‘No man is fit to govern who hesitates about disobliging the few who have access to him for the sake of the many he will never see.’ I wish you well for the future as Hon. Members of the House of Keys. Therefore, on behalf of all Members of this House, I have great pleasure in welcoming you to this ancient institution, the House of Keys. Welcome.

Members: Hear, hear.

Tynwald 20/10/2015

Thanks to His Honour the First Deemster and the Chief Registrar

The Speaker: And now, Hon Members, I would like, on your behalf, to thank His Honour the First Deemster, Clerk of the Rolls and the Chief Registrar for their attendance this morning and performing this most important constitutional duty. I now ask the Secretary of the House to escort His Honour and the Chief Registrar from the House.

The Secretary escorted the First Deemster and Clerk of the Rolls and the Chief Registrar from the House.

Tynwald 20/10/2015