CANADA achieved a historic milestone on October 4, 2023, when the House of Commons elected its first Black Speaker.
Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) Greg Fergus has assumed this groundbreaking role, taking over from Anthony Rota, who resigned in the wake of a controversial incident.
Rota had extended an invitation to a former Second World War veteran, Varoslav Hunka, who had a troubling association with the Nazis, to attend the House during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s address to parliament.
This unfortunate oversight garnered international attention and brought considerable embarrassment to Canada.
Fergus emerged as the choice from a pool of seven lawmakers vying for the Speaker’s position, a role tasked with maintaining order among MPs, shaping the legislative agenda, and presiding over debates. The House of Commons often descends into heated confrontations, characterized by bickering and incessant heckling.
In his inaugural address after being elected through a secret ballot, Fergus expressed his determination to restore decorum and respect to the chamber. He emphasized the importance of mutual respect as a cornerstone of parliamentary proceedings, asserting, “We need to make sure that we treat each other with respect and we show Canadians that example. There can be no dialogue unless there’s a mutual understanding of respect.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau voiced his hope that Fergus would succeed in his mission, emphasizing the Speaker’s crucial role in fostering civility in debates and serving the common interest of Canadians. It’s worth noting that while the Speaker is a member of a political party—in Fergus’s case, the Liberal Party of Trudeau—the role itself is non-partisan.
(Sourced online/ai/mnm)