To resign, or not to resign; that is the question; Deliberation over the Honourable Greg Fergus resignation

BY PAUL JUNOR

It was truly a historic day on October 3^rd, 2023, when Honourable Greg Fergus was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as the 58^th Speaker of the House of Commons. His historic appointment was met with words of congratulation, expressions of celebration, and acknowledgement of the first Black man to hold this esteemed position.

However, a few weeks later these praises and support turned to disapproval and dismay when many of these Parliamentarians found out that he recorded a video in support of the outgoing interim leader of the Ontario Liberal Party, John Fraser while dressed in his Speaker’s garb in the Speaker’s office. The video was shown at the event to mark the election of Bonnie Crombie as the new leader of the Provincial Liberals.

Fraser Tolme posted on Facebook on December 4^th, 2023, the case against the Speaker. It read, “Former Speaker Andrew Scheer lays out the case against speaker Greg Fergus unacceptable Liberal partisan activity this weekend. This conduct is a direct violation of the House Speaker’s role as an impartial, non-partisan ‘referee’ for the House of Commons, and we will not stand for this blatant abuse of such an important office and title.”

Michael Cooper, Conservative Member of Parliament for St. Albert, Edmonton (Shadow Minister of Democratic Reform) posted a message on Facebook on Friday, December 8^th, 2023. It reads, “Greg Fergus betrayed his duty to be non-partisan as Speaker. He was featured at a Liberal convention paying tribute to a Liberal politician. He then jetted off to D.C. on the taxpayers’ dime and gave more partisan remarks. He needs to seriously reflect on whether he can remain Speaker.”

In a post on Wednesday, December 12^th, 2023, he wrote, “The number one rule for the Speaker is non-partisanship. Speaker Greg Fergus betrayed the trust of the House when he engaged in multiple displays of partisanship. He has ignored calls to resign from the Conservatives Party of Canada and the Bloc Quebecois. It’s up to the New Democrat Party to force his resignation. Will they?”

In response to the attack on Speaker Fergus and calls for his resignation, the West Island Black Community Association issued a call to action in support of Speaker Greg Fergus on Tuesday, December 12^th, 2023. It states, “We urge certain Members of Parliament to cease their efforts to remove Honourable Greg Fergus, a dedicated and respected Parliamentarian, from his role as Speaker of the House.”

It notes further that the incident was a “minor indiscretion” as the video was shown without his approval. Furthermore, it notes, “Despite his apology, this incident is being exploited to force his resignation.” The letter of support acknowledges Honourable Greg Fergus years of selfless contribution to Canadian public life, and the fact that he was elected unanimously by most Members of Parliament. It states that this shows their confidence in his: fairness, impartiality, and respect for parliamentary traditions.

The letter highlights what has happened since he became Speaker. It notes, “Since his election, Speaker Fergus has faced consistent attempts to weaken his authority, including unfounded attacks and disrespectful claims. These claims are rooted in intolerance, jeopardizing the progress made in electing the first Black Canadian after 150 years.”

The Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) tabled a report in the House which asked for three recommendations: an apology, a financial recompense, etc. In a report on December 15^th, 2023, CTV states that Speaker Fergus delivered an apology in the House. He states, “I want to thank colleagues for their work and consideration of the serious matter that was put before them. I made a serious mistake. I should have never recorded that video, not in the Speaker’s uniform, not I’m the Speaker’s office. I am deeply sorry. I want to reassure members that nothing like this will ever happen again.”

He expressed gratitude to those who gave him a second chance. He notes, “To those members who have generously extended me a second chance to serve as Speaker, I say thank you from the bottom of my heart. To those members who are opposed to the second chance let me say, I understand your point of view and I will spare no effort to regain your trust.”