Canada has elected Liberal MP Greg Fergus as the new Speaker of the House of Commons, marking a historic moment following the resignation of the previous Speaker amidst parliamentary controversy. Fergus, the first black man to hold this esteemed position, secured the support of the 338-member House through a secret ballot conducted on Tuesday. In a moment of deep gratitude, he expressed it as “a great honor” to have been chosen for this crucial role. The former Speaker resigned amid controversy surrounding the invitation of a Ukrainian man with ties to a Nazi unit to the parliament.
Anthony Rota, the former Speaker, stated that he had no prior knowledge of the veteran’s Nazi connections. Tuesday saw seven candidates vying to replace him in this crucial role. During his initial remarks, Mr. Fergus urged his fellow parliamentarians to embrace respect and ‘passionate debate’ in the House, emphasizing the nobility of the political profession.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commended Fergus’s election as a source of inspiration for all Canadians, particularly the younger generations interested in politics. Nonetheless, some Conservative members opposed his nomination, citing an ethics violation from the previous year. Despite this opposition, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Prime Minister Trudeau adhered to the centuries-old tradition of escorting Mr. Fergus into the House of Commons, where the new Speaker symbolically feigns reluctance to serve.
Notably, while Mr. Fergus is the first black man to assume the role of Speaker in the House, Jean Augustine, who was the first black woman elected as a member of parliament in 1993, briefly served as deputy speaker. In addition to his role as a member of parliament, the 54-year-old Mr. Fergus has also served as a parliamentary secretary to the Treasury Board president and the health minister. His earlier experience as a House of Commons page in the late 1980s holds a special place in his journey.
Mr. Fergus was initially elected in 2015 as an MP representing the Quebec riding of Hull-Aylmer, near Ottawa, during the period when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s party came to power. His personal biography portrays him as a ‘community activist, long-distance runner, new grandfather, and failed musician.’
As the Speaker, Mr. Fergus will be responsible for chairing debates, enforcing House rules, voting only in the event of a tie, and maintaining political impartiality. His primary mission is to ‘restore the honor of the Chamber,’ in the words of Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democrats, during his address on the House floor.
The reference to a standing ovation given to a World War Two veteran who served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a unit primarily comprised of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command, pertains to an incident involving Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old veteran honored during a visit to Ottawa by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. It is essential to note that while this division’s members have faced accusations of killing Polish and Jewish civilians, they have not been found guilty of any war crimes by a tribunal.
