G7 speakers, officials gathering in capital region today

Speaker of the House of Commons Francis Scarpaleggia, second from left, takes part in his first Speakers Parade after being elected on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Wednesday, May 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Canada is hosting U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and other officials from G7 countries and Ukraine in the Ottawa area today.

Speaker of the House of Commons Francis Scarpaleggia will be in meetings with his counterparts until Saturday as part of Canada’s G7 presidency.

Canada has invited the chair of Ukraine’s parliament and major parliamentary officials from G7 countries, although Japan’s House Speaker Fukushiro Nukaga won’t be present.

Scarpaleggia’s office says officials are gathering to discuss the challenges facing legislators worldwide and the importance of parliamentary diplomacy.

The meetings involve working sessions on themes like online disinformation, “fostering respectful debate” in a climate of political polarization and violence against lawmakers.

The first meeting of the Speakers of the Lower Houses of the G7 was hosted by Canada in 2002.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press