In a historic moment for Canada, the country’s House of Commons has elected its first Black Speaker, Greg Fergus.
The 54-year-old Quebec Liberal MP was named as the 38th Speaker of the House of Commons on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
Fergus was elected in a secret ballot among the 338 members of the Canadian parliament’s lower chamber, defeating seven other candidates for the position.
Fergus is known for chairing the Black Caucus in Parliament and holding senior advisory roles in various ministries.
As House speaker, Fergus, will preserve order and decorum at the lower house and will only vote to break a tie.
In his inaugural address, Fergus emphasized his commitment to leading with respect and urged fellow lawmakers to uphold the same values.
He said he hopes to demonstrate that “politics is a noble profession”.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau praised Fergus’s election, calling it “an inspiration to all Canadians, especially younger generations who want to get involved in politics.”
The leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh, also called it as a historic moment, offering representation to youth.
“For kids across this country who haven’t seen themselves reflected in our House of Commons — this is a historic moment,” Singh wrote on X.
Fergus succeeds Anthony Rota, who resigned after honoring a Ukrainian Nazi veteran who in parliament and caused a controversy.
Beyond his political career, Fergus’ interests include running and jazz.
