Greg Fergus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Greg Fergus
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Fergus in 2024
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| 39th Speaker of the House of Commons | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office October 3, 2023 – May 26, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Louis Plamondon | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Francis Scarpaleggia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Hull—Aylmer |
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| Assumed office October 19, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Nycole Turmel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
Gregory Cristophe Fergus
May 31, 1969 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Political party | Liberal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Julie Cool | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residences | Aylmer, Quebec, Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Selwyn House School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Marianopolis College (DEC) University of Ottawa (BSocSc) Carleton University (BA) |
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Gregory Christophe Fergus (born May 31, 1969) is a Canadian politician. He served as the 39th Speaker of the House of Commons from October 3, 2023, to May 26, 2025. He is also a Member of Parliament (MP) for the area of Hull—Aylmer.
Mr. Fergus is a member of the Liberal Party. He was first elected in the 2015 federal election. Before becoming an MP, he worked for other politicians.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Family Background
Greg Fergus's family has roots in the Caribbean. His grandfather moved to Canada from Montserrat, which was a British colony. His mother is from Jamaica.
School and University Years
Greg Fergus went to public elementary schools named Westpark and Sunnydale. He later attended Lindsay Place High School. Due to a teachers' strike, his parents sent him to Selwyn House School. This was a private school for boys. After that, he studied at Marianopolis College.
He earned two bachelor's degrees from universities. One was from the University of Ottawa. The other, in international relations, was from Carleton University. At Selwyn House, he was classmates with people who later became successful business owners.
Early Political Involvement
From 1994 to 1996, Greg Fergus was the president of the Young Liberals of Canada. During this time, he supported a motion for the Liberal Party to back same-sex marriage. After finishing university, he worked for Liberal government ministers. In 2007, he became the national director for the Liberal Party.
Political Career Highlights
Becoming a Member of Parliament
In the 2015 federal election, Greg Fergus ran as the Liberal candidate for Hull—Aylmer. This area usually voted Liberal. However, in the previous election, it had been won by the New Democratic Party. Greg Fergus won the election by a large number of votes.
Serving as Parliamentary Secretary
From March 19, 2021, to September 17, 2023, Mr. Fergus served as a Parliamentary Secretary to Justin Trudeau. A parliamentary secretary helps a minister or the Prime Minister with their duties. While in this role, he joined the Privy Council. This allowed him to see important government documents.
Speaker of the House of Commons
On October 3, 2023, Greg Fergus was elected as the 38th Speaker of the House of Commons. This was a historic moment because he became the first Black person to hold this important position. The Speaker is like a referee in Parliament, making sure debates follow the rules.
On May 28, 2024, there was a vote to remove him as Speaker. However, he kept his position. The Liberal, Green, and New Democratic parties voted to keep him. The Bloc Quebecois and Conservatives voted to remove him. In May 2025, he ran for Speaker again but was not re-elected. Francis Scarpaleggia became the new Speaker.
