The Canadian Parliament elected Tuesday, October 3, Greg Fergus as its leader, who thus becomes the first black president of this institution. In his speech to the House of Commons, the Liberal MP called his election a "great honour". Parliament is "the place where we can have passionate debates, but passionate and respectful debates," he recalled, stressing that his goal will be to show that "politics is a noble profession." As Speaker of the House, his role is to preside over debates and enforce the Rules of Procedure while remaining impartial and voting only in the event of a tie.
Greg Fergus was symbolically escorted to his stage by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Opposition Leader Pierre Poilièvre, as is the Canadian tradition. Warmly congratulating him on his appointment as "the first Black Canadian to become Speaker of this House," Trudeau called him "an inspiration to all Canadians, especially the younger generations who want to get involved in politics."
"Restoring the honor of this chamber"
His mandate will begin with the task of "restoring the honour of this chamber," said New Democratic Party (NDP) Leader Jagmeet Singh. He was referring to the tribute paid a little more than a week ago, during the visit of Volodymyr Zelensky, of Jewish faith, to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran accused of fighting in the SS, ignoring the details of his past. Invited by the previous Speaker of the House, Anthony Rota, this scene went around the world and prompted the Prime Minister to apologize for a "terrible mistake" that caused "the deep embarrassment of Canada".