Hello,
Liberal MP Greg Fergus has been elected Speaker of the House of Commons.
The member for Hull-Aylmer across the Ottawa River from the nation’s capital, is the first Black person and person of colour be Speaker. He was first elected in 2015.
After being voted in Tuesday by MPs, Fergus was ceremonially dragged to his chair in the Commons by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre.
Fergus succeeds Anthony Rota who stepped down after paying tribute to a man who fought for the Nazis in the Second World War. The acknowledgement came during a speech to the Commons by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In his initial remarks as Speaker, Fergus paid tribute to the six other MPs who competed for the job, delivering short speeches Tuesday to make their case for the candidacies.
“The Speaker, to use the old hockey analogy, is nothing more than a referee, and if there is one thing I know, is that nobody pays good money to go the referee. They go to see the stars, you, the players on the ice,” Fergus told members.
But he called for more respectful debate. “Respect is a fundamental part of what we do here. We need to make sure that we treat each other with respect, that we show Canadians the example because there can be no dialogue unless there is a mutual understanding of respect. "
The former parliamentary secretary to Mr. Trudeau has, more recently, been parliamentary secretary to both the treasury board president and health minister.
The Speaker runs such Commons proceedings as Question Period, and has a key role in the management of the Commons through chairing the Board of Internal Economy, which also has MPs as members. Details here.
The other MPs in the race were Liberals Sean Casey, Alexandra Mendes, Peter Schiefke, Conservative Chris d’Entremont, New Democrat Carol Hughes, and Green Party Leader Elizabeth May.
The role of being Speaker comes with perks that include an $92,800 top-up in an MP’s salary, an apartment on Parliament Hill, a residence in Quebec, and a car and driver.
Senior Political Reporter Marieke Walsh reports here.
BREAKING - The Prime Minister’s Office has announced that Justin Trudeau, on Tuesday, participated in a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and others on Russia and the situation in Ukraine. Details here.
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TODAY'S HEADLINES
Joly urges diplomatic talks to ease tensions after India reportedly orders dozens of Canadian envoys to leave - Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urged India on Tuesday to thaw frosty bilateral relations though quiet diplomatic talks after New Delhi reportedly ordered two-thirds of Canadian diplomats out of the country. Story here. Also, Ms. Joly says Canada is determining how it can best help with an international military intervention in Haiti, leaving it unclear whether this will involve a military role for Canada. Story here.
After a four-week campaign, Manitobans to decide on Tories’ bid for a third term - Manitobans are to make history Tuesday as they cast final ballots in an election that has followed four weeks of promises, debates and controversial advertisements. Story here. Please watch The Globe and Mail for updates on the outcome of the election.
Ex RCMP employee Cameron Ortis pleads not guilty to sharing secrets while working for organization - A former RCMP civilian who is facing a criminal trial for allegedly sharing secrets while working for the Mounties has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Story here.
Bank of Canada deputy warns aggressive pricing could make it harder to get inflation under control- Bank of Canada deputy governor Nicolas Vincent said that companies continue to raise prices more frequently than before the pandemic and warned that this behaviour could become “self-perpetuating,” making it harder to get inflation back under control. Story here.
Pat King asks to move trial out of Ottawa, claims more notoriety than Randy Hillier - “Freedom Convoy” organizer Pat King has asked the court once again to move his criminal trial out of Ottawa, even though others who were charged during the demonstration have been denied similar requests. Story here.
PQ captures Jean-Talon riding in Quebec by-election, adds fourth seat - The Parti Quebecois handily won the hotly contested byelection in the Quebec City riding of Jean-Talon, capturing a seat held by the governing Coalition Avenir Quebec since 2019. Story here.
Ottawa, banks approve millions in loans to reduce barriers for Black entrepreneurs - Major lending programs for Black entrepreneurs have quickened their paces after a slow start, with Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce approving $8.5-million in loans and grants and Ottawa authorizing about $35.1-million in loans so far. Story here.
Federal cabinet ministers still lack mandate letters, two months after majority shuffled - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has yet to issue mandate letters for his cabinet ministers, leaving those in new roles without clear marching orders two months after announcing an overhaul to his front bench. Story here.
B.C. Question Period reforms aim for time limits, less heckling, real questions, real answers - The fall session of the B.C. legislature began Tuesday with reforms to Question Period that, by agreement of the four parties, include new time limit and efforts to reduce heckling. Story here from The Orca.
THIS AND THAT
Today in the Commons - Projected Order of Business at the House of Commons, Oct. 3 accessible here.
Deputy Prime Minister’s Day - Chrystia Freeland, in Ottawa, held private meetings, attended the Liberal caucus meeting, then the cabinet meeting, and, in the early afternoon, Question Period. Freeland later met with business leaders from Alberta.
In Ottawa - Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux appears before the standing committee on industry and technology to provide a briefing on his break-even analysis of production subsidies for Stellantis-LGES and Volkswagen.
PRIME MINISTER'S DAY
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in Ottawa, held private meetings, attended the Liberal caucus meeting, chaired the cabinet meeting and was scheduled to attend Question Period. In the evening, Trudeau delivered remarks at the “One Alberta. One Canada.” reception, with Workforce Minister Randy Boissonnault also present.
LEADERS
Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet is in Europe, on a work trip to Paris, Edinburgh and Belfast through Oct. 11.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a news conference on Parliament Hill, and attended Question Period.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May, participating in the Commons virtually from her Vancouver Island riding, delivered as speech as part of the series of speeches of prospective candidates to be Speakers.]
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, in Ottawa participated in the Speaker election process in the House of Commons, the attended Question Period and met with Indigenous labour leaders.
THE DECIBEL
On Tuesday’s edition of The Globe and Mail podcast, Globe Investigative reporter Greg Mercer talks about legislative loopholes that have created a conflict in the eastern part of Prince Edward Island as the Buddhist organization Bliss and Wisdom has been buying up several parcels of land. The Decibel is here.
OPINION
The Globe and Mail Editorial Board on how Alberta is turning freedom of information into a Why Do You Need To Know Act: “This week The Globe reported that Alberta’s Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has launched a systemic investigation into whether the province has not complied with its own law. Among the office’s powers is to make an order to compel government to release the records if it is found its ministries acted improperly. That would be welcome, but it’s also part of the problem. It is not much of a punishment or deterrent to merely order the release of what was being requested – especially in this case, since the data are in fact basic information. Governments of all partisan stripes, favouring secrecy over openness, can too easily undermine requests with delays, forcing people who seek information into an extended battle.”
André Picard (The Globe and Mail) on how AI holds much promise in medicine, beginning with easing doctors’ paperwork: “Physicians spend, on average, more than 12 hours a week typing notes into charts. It’s work that’s often done after hours. Charting is just one part of the paperwork. There are referrals, countless forms for insurance, sick notes, billing, scheduling, and more. (Physicians often have minimal office staff because the costs come out of pocket.) And it adds up. According to one study, doctors spend more than 18 million hours a year doing administrative work that is unnecessary or could be done by someone else (including an AI bot, presumably.)”
Former diplomat David McKinnon writes as a contributor to The Globe and Mail that the India debacle should prompt Canada to rethink the naive way we engage with the world: “The implosion of the Canada-India relationship, only months after our Indo-Pacific Strategy described India as a “critical partner,” is stunning. Canada’s relationship with a democratic and pluralistic India was intended, at least in part, to be a counterweight to our troubled relationship with authoritarian China. But after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced last month that there were “credible allegations” that the Indian government was involved in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., the two countries engaged in a tit-for-tat expulsion of senior diplomats; now, Delhi is reportedly further demanding the removal of 41 of Canada’s 62 remaining envoys.”
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Ian Bailey