Federal elected officials have chosen Liberal MP Greg Fergus of Quebec to become the first black speaker of the House of Commons in Ottawa on Tuesday.
“My job as president is to ensure that the rules are followed so that you can wage a fight in this House that will hopefully be respectful, kind, sincere and passionate,” the Hull-Aylmer MP said in a brief Speech from the chair of its new president.
He succeeds Anthony Rota, who resigned last week after leading elected officials controversially gave a standing ovation to a former Nazi fighter before Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was visiting Ottawa.
Before the vote, Greg Fergus had focused his campaign on mutual respect and collegiality between MPs. He promised other elected officials to be “a tireless defender of the best ideas, no matter where they come from.” He was first elected in 2015 and said he had been passionate about politics since his youth before taking the job of a page in the House of Commons.
Traditionally, the prime minister and the leader of the official opposition acted as if they wanted to force him into his presidential seat. The scene led to a rare moment of complicity between Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre.
Congratulations from everyone
For a week, Greg Fergus hugged interim president, Bloc Rep. and House Dean Louis Plamondon to applause from his colleagues. He was warmly congratulated by Liberal and Conservative leaders.
With a wink, the Prime Minister took the new President to task for incorrectly being described as “honorable” instead of “truly honorable”. Justin Trudeau noted that Mr. Fergus is the first black Canadian to hold the prestigious position.
Bloc Québécois Parliamentary Leader Alain Therrien said he believes he is a fair president. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh called him “one of the friendliest MPs” in Ottawa.
Bilingual, the MP for Outaouais, Quebec, was co-chair of the Black Parliamentarians Caucus. His liberal colleague from the Bourassa constituency, Emmanuel Dubourg, explicitly emphasized the importance of a parliamentarian of African-American descent getting this office.
“Imagine the impact this can have on our children, our grandchildren and young people. To say that it is possible here in Canada. In this sense, I am very proud,” said the elected representative of Montreal.
The prime minister’s former parliamentary secretary Greg Fergus was reprimanded by the ethics commissioner last year for writing a letter in support of a television station’s application to the Broadcasting and Communications Commission Canadian Telecommunications (CRTC), which is banned.
Another liberal president
Mr. Fergus received more support than three candidates who have already led the work of the House of Representatives: the conservative Chris d’Entremont, who is currently vice president, and the liberal Alexandra Mendès and the new Democrat Carol Hughes, both vice presidents. -Deputy Presidents.
The other MPs who have announced their candidacy are Liberals Peter Schiefke and Sean Casey, as well as Green Party of Canada leader Elizabeth May. Liberal MP Stéphane Lauzon withdrew his candidacy that same morning.
The president is elected by a preferential vote in several rounds, which is secret. The outcome on Tuesday was therefore uncertain. Vice President and Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont, for example, received warm applause after making a spirited plea for compliance and highlighting his Nova Scotia Acadian identity.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has repeatedly referred to former House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota as a “liberal president,” particularly when he called for his resignation.
The Speaker of the House of Commons is responsible for directing proceedings, interpreting the rules, maintaining order, and defending the rights and privileges of members. The position comes with a bonus of $92,800 and a plush official residence in Outaouais, Quebec.
With the Canadian Press