{{Short description|Canadian lawyer and politician}} {{BLP sources|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = George Furey | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|KC|size=100}} | image = George Furey 2016.jpg | alt = | caption = Furey in 2016 | office = Speaker of the Senate of Canada | term_start = December 3, 2015 | term_end = May 12, 2023 | appointer = David Johnston | nominator = Justin Trudeau | predecessor = Leo Housakos | successor = Raymonde Gagné | office2 = Canadian Senator<br />from Newfoundland and Labrador | term_start2 = August 11, 1999 | term_end2 = May 12, 2023 | nominator2 = Jean Chrétien | appointer2 = Roméo LeBlanc | predecessor2 = William Petten | successor2 = Judy White | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1948|5|12}} | birth_place = St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | party = Independent | other_party = Liberal (until 2014)<br />Independent Liberal<br />(2014–2015) | spouse = | relatives = | children = 4 (including Andrew) | alma_mater = Memorial University of Newfoundland (BA, BEd, MEd)<br />Dalhousie University (LLB) | occupation = {{hlist|Politician|teacher|lawyer}} | signature = }}
'''George J. Furey''' {{post-nominals|country=CAN|PC|KC}} (born May 12, 1948) is a Canadian politician who served as the speaker of the Senate of Canada from 2015 to 2023. Furey was appointed as a senator from Newfoundland and Labrador in 1999 and was the longest-serving member of the Senate at the time of his retirement.
== Background == Furey earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Bachelor of Education Degree from Memorial University in 1970. He also completed a Master of Education Degree from Memorial in 1976. After graduating, he worked as a teacher for the Roman Catholic School Board in St. John's from 1969 to 1972. From 1972 to 1978, Furey was a supervising vice principal with the Port-au-Port Roman Catholic School Board, and from 1978 to 1980 supervising principal of the Placentia-St. Mary's Roman Catholic School Board.
After a career in education, he went on to earn a law degree from Dalhousie University in 1983. He was called to the Newfoundland Bar in 1984. Furey was later named a partner at the St. John's law firm of O'Brien, Furey & Hurley. By 1989, he was a senior partner at the law firm of O'Brien, Furey & Smith. He was appointed as Queen's Counsel in 1996.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sencanada.ca/en/senators/furey-george-j/|title=Senator George J. Furey|publisher=Senate of Canada|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
Furey volunteers for volunteer groups, professional boards, and provincial commissions, including the Newfoundland Teachers' Association, Scouts Canada, the St. Clare's Mercy Hospital Ethics Committee, the Gonzaga High School Council, and the Provincial Police Complaints Commission.
In 2020, Furey's son Andrew announced his candidacy for leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador and was elected leader in August 2020, becoming the 14th Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/andrew-furey-kicks-off-liberal-campaign-1.5483552|title=Andrew Furey kicks off campaign for Liberal leadership|publisher=CBC News|date=March 3, 2020|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/abbott-furey-liberal-leader-nl-1.5672194|title=Andrew Furey wins Liberal leadership race, will become 14th premier of N.L.|publisher=CBC News|date=August 3, 2020|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
== Political career == Furey was named to the Senate of Canada by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien on August 11, 1999. As a senator, he was a member of several Senate committees and served as Chair of the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=16524#comp|title=George J. Furey profile|publisher=Parliament of Canada|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
On January 29, 2014, Liberal Party leader Justin Trudeau announced that the party's caucus in the Senate would be dissolved. Some former Liberals, including Furey, would maintain a caucus, styled the Senate Liberal Caucus, but with no formal affiliation with the main Liberal Party.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/justin-trudeau-removes-senators-from-liberal-caucus-1.2515273|title=Justin Trudeau removes senators from Liberal caucus|publisher=CBC News|date=January 29, 2014|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
Following the retirement of David Tkachuk on {{dts|2020|2|18}}, he was the longest-serving member of the Senate until his own retirement. He was the last remaining senator that was appointed in the 20th century.
=== Speaker of the Senate === On December 3, 2015, Furey was appointed Speaker of the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replacing Senator Leo Housakos. He resigned from the Senate Liberal Caucus upon assuming the speaker's chair.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/liberals-setting-up-advisory-board-to-fill-empty-senate-seats/article27577333/|title=Liberals to set up advisory board for Senate nominees, but B.C. won't take part|first=Gloria|last=Galloway|date=December 3, 2015|work=The Globe and Mail|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
As Speaker, Furey presided over a period of Senate reform. In his opening address, he highlighted a need for the Senate to reinvent itself and to fulfil its role, as intended by the Constitution, as an independent institution "of sober second thought".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/furey-housakos-demers-senate-speaker-1.3348769|title=George Furey named as Senate Speaker, replacing Conservative Leo Housakos|publisher=CBC News|date=December 3, 2015|access-date=2023-02-24}}</ref>
Furey retired from the Senate and as Speaker on May 12, 2023, upon turning 75, the mandatory retirement age for senators.
==Honours== As is customary for former Speakers of the Senate, he was appointed to the King's Privy Council for Canada on the same day of his retirement. This gives him the right to the honorific prefix "The Honourable" and the post-nominal letters "PC" for life.<ref>{{cite web|title=King's Privy Council for Canada|url=https://www.canada.ca/en/privy-council/services/queens.html|website=Government of Canada|date=11 December 2017 |accessdate=15 May 2023}}</ref>
== References == <references />
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=Leo Housakos (acting)}} {{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the Senate of Canada|years=2015–2023}} {{s-aft|after=Raymonde Gagné}} {{s-end}} {{Speakers of the Canadian Senate}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Furey, George J.}} Category:1948 births Category:Living people Category:Canadian King's Counsel Category:Speakers of the Senate of Canada Category:Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada Category:Canadian senators from Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Liberal Party of Canada senators Category:Independent Canadian senators Category:Politicians from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Category:Memorial University of Newfoundland alumni Category:Schulich School of Law alumni Category:20th-century members of the Senate of Canada Category:21st-century members of the Senate of Canada