# George Furey

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{{Short description|Canadian lawyer and politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/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](/source/Speaker_of_the_Senate_of_Canada)
| term_start       = December 3, 2015
| term_end         = May 12, 2023
| appointer        = [David Johnston](/source/David_Johnston_(governor_general))
| nominator        = [Justin Trudeau](/source/Justin_Trudeau)
| predecessor      = [Leo Housakos](/source/Leo_Housakos)
| successor        = [Raymonde Gagné](/source/Raymonde_Gagn%C3%A9)
| office2          = [Canadian Senator](/source/Senate_of_Canada)<br />from [Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/Newfoundland_and_Labrador)
| term_start2      = August 11, 1999
| term_end2        = May 12, 2023
| nominator2       = [Jean Chrétien](/source/Jean_Chr%C3%A9tien)
| appointer2       = [Roméo LeBlanc](/source/Rom%C3%A9o_LeBlanc)
| predecessor2     = [William Petten](/source/William_Petten)
| successor2       = [Judy White](/source/Judy_White)
| birth_name       = 
| birth_date       = {{birth date and age|1948|5|12}}
| birth_place      = [St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/St._John's%2C_Newfoundland_and_Labrador), Canada
| death_date       = 
| death_place      = 
| party            = [Independent](/source/Independent_politician)
| other_party      = [Liberal](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) (until 2014)<br />[Independent Liberal](/source/Senate_Liberal_Caucus)<br />(2014–2015)
| spouse           = 
| relatives        = 
| children         = 4 (including [Andrew](/source/Andrew_Furey))
| alma_mater       = [Memorial University of Newfoundland](/source/Memorial_University_of_Newfoundland) ([BA](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts), [BEd](/source/BEd), [MEd](/source/MEd))<br />[Dalhousie University](/source/Dalhousie_University) ([LLB](/source/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](/source/speaker_of_the_Senate_of_Canada) from 2015 to 2023. Furey was appointed as a senator from [Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/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](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) Degree and a [Bachelor of Education](/source/Bachelor_of_Education) Degree from [Memorial University](/source/Memorial_University_of_Newfoundland) in 1970. He also completed a [Master of Education](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Andrew_Furey) announced his [candidacy for leader of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/2020_Liberal_Party_of_Newfoundland_and_Labrador_leadership_election) and was elected leader in August 2020, becoming the 14th [Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador](/source/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](/source/Jean_Chr%C3%A9tien) 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](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Canada) leader [Justin Trudeau](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Justin_Trudeau) replacing Senator [Leo Housakos](/source/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](/source/Constitution_of_Canada), 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](/source/King's_Privy_Council_for_Canada) on the same day of his retirement. This gives him the right to the [honorific](/source/honorific) prefix "The Honourable" and the [post-nominal letters](/source/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](/source/Leo_Housakos) (acting)}}
{{s-ttl|title=[Speaker of the Senate of Canada](/source/Speaker_of_the_Senate_of_Canada)|years=2015–2023}}
{{s-aft|after=[Raymonde Gagné](/source/Raymonde_Gagn%C3%A9)}}
{{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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [George Furey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Furey) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Furey?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.