Greg Fergus Becomes Canada’s First Black Speaker of the House of Commons

The new Speaker’s first task will be to help the Parliament turn the page on the Nazi veteran affair, according to local media reports…reports Asian Lite News

In a historic moment, Greg Fergus, a member of Canada’s Liberal Parliament, has been chosen as the 38th Speaker of the House of Commons in the country. Fergus, who represents the Quebec constituency of Hull-Aylmer near Ottawa, has achieved the distinction of becoming the first Black Canadian to assume the role of Speaker of the House of Commons in Canada, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

Elected by fellow members of parliament through a secret ballot, the Speaker oversees the sittings and proceedings of the House, maintaining order and decorum in the chamber, providing impartial interpretation of its rules, and defending the rights and privileges of its members.

The Speaker also oversees the House of Commons administration, serves as its spokesperson in its relations with the Senate, the Crown, and other bodies outside the Parliament, and fulfills various ceremonial and diplomatic duties.

The new Speaker’s first task will be to help the Parliament turn the page on the Nazi veteran affair, according to local media reports.

The former speaker, Anthony Rota, stepped down from the post last Tuesday amid controversies over his invitation to a veteran who fought for a Nazi military unit during the Second World War.

Fergus, born in May 1969, was first elected a member of parliament in 2015. 

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