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Greg Fergus becomes first Black Canadian to be elected as House speaker

Greg Fergus becomes first Black Canadian to be elected as House speaker

Greg Fergus.

Canada's House of Commons on Tuesday (Oct 3) electedGreg Fergus as its new speaker, making him the first Black Canadian to take charge of the top post. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, the members of the 338-seat House voted for Fergus in a secret ballot. Fergus came ahead of candidates including fellow Liberal MP Sean Casey, Conservative Chris d'Entremont, and Green Party leader Elizabeth May.

"Today you're the first Black Canadian to become speaker.It should be inspiring for all Canadians, especially younger generations who want to get involved in politics," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

Fergus' appointment comes after previous speakerAnthony Rota resigned last week after inviting former Nazi soldierYaroslav Hunka to the Canadian Parliament.

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Without knowing Hunka's full background, Rota publicly recognized him as a veteran soldier for Ukraine and a hero who had emigrated to Canada, prompting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to formally apologize for the gaffe last week.

The House speaker is meant to be an impartial arbitrator of parliamentary procedure, seeking to maintain order and decorum during debates. The speaker votes only to break a tie, and plays a ceremonial role as an institutional representative of parliament.

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