1st Black Canadian House speaker kicks off Parliament with joke: “Please treat me like that new car”

Newly-elected House Speaker Greg Fergus kicked off Tuesday’s question period with a joke, after being voted in to take on the Speaker role of Canada’s parliament earlier that day.

“Colleagues, before we begin my first question period, please treat me like that new car. Don't give it a dent on the first day,” Fergus said, which was met with laughter and applause.

The 54-year-old Quebec Liberal MP became the first Black Canadian to serve as Speaker and is tasked with restoring confidence in the chamber. After MPs elected him to the role by secret ballot, he promised them that he would lead with respect and encouraged them to respect each other, too.

The rare mid-session election was held to replace Anthony Rota, who caused an international uproar last month by accidentally honouring a man who fought with a Nazi unit in the second war during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the House of Commons.

#GlobalNews #Canada #FergusBlack

[sirsquirrel]

And now we Americans have had our own Speaker moment!

[koshka]

Trudeau logic: "Hmm, well our last speaker invited a Nazi to parliament, so lets make the next speaker a black guy. That will hush everyone up."

Why did parliament clap longer and harder for an ss na zi over the first black speaker?

[Cristoforo]

Why does Trudeau have to make his introductory speech about the new Speaker about his race? It shouldn’t matter what gender, what age, what race or ability someone is/has. That’s so racist

[light-yime]

But our Prime Minister tried to pass as a black man not once but numerous times ! What do you say about that??

[bluesky]

Nothing like a house speaker who 7 months ago had an ethics violation for conflict of interest.

[patrickcowan]

I was hoping he would be a black lesbian who identifies as a white heterosexual right wing supremacist.

[tyffanypoudrier]

Omg wth is with oh he’s Black we must point that out! Geez thanks the majority of us are not color blind! What happened to what is on the resume if they are honest and hard working ? Good at heart etc

[canadiansurvivalist]

Thanks for pointing out his black lol racist

[joejackson]

All sins forgiven now guys. That was a close one!

[gigi]

Really? Thanks to the hollow virtue signaling, we will never know if this man is actually competent enough to secure this appointment by meritocracy- but given what the last guy did, almost anything is a step up. The fact that he is still an mp and collecting a paycheck shows you just what kind of morals, or lack there of, the Liberal party of Canada has.

[ragmanx]

Can we have the first honest speaker of the house next, plz? Tall order, I know, but I don't make it a habit of applauding for people with ethics violations in their record. Hopefully that's not too much of a controversial position to hold.

[HiddenInPlainSight]

No end to this virtue signalling criminal enterprise, just shifted gears into High

[unacceptablemooshmeat]

Nice coverage global. Don’t show any of the discussion and just focus on race. Martin Luther king Jr. Would be so proud!

[tonycommisso]

Good choice was charged with an ethics violation in February

[tomlarocque]

That joke stinks worse that Trudeau's breath on a Sunday morning.

[mikeyrichard]

He is the first Speaker in Canadian history to have been found guilty of breaking ethics laws. Great success!

[_years_left]

And now it's come out this new car is a lemon. Totally as corrupt as the last one.

[peterswistak]

Hard act to follow ....we had the first Nazis in Parliament getting a stand up ovations not once but twice ....and the thunderstorm clapping and smiling faces Priceless... but hey a new liberal speaker with Ethic Violation already in place ..not bad Im sure it will only get worse...

[joeydepalmer]

he is black, so? is he Canadian? that is the question. do you know canadians are white and black. canadians are not european canadian or african canadian. canadians are not white canadians or black canadians, they are canadians