House of Commons elects Liberal MP Greg Fergus as first Black Canadian Speaker

Liberal member of Parliament Greg Fergus has been elected the House of Commons Speaker in a historic mid-session vote, becoming the first Black person to hold the position in Canada's Parliament. 

Fergus, 54, was first elected to represent the Quebec riding of Hull-Aylmer in 2015. 

MPs gave him a standing ovation as he was announced the winner of the vote, and members of the Liberal, NDP and Bloc Québécois caucuses shook his hand and hugged him, as did a small number of Conservative MPs.