Canadians across party lines are demanding the resignation of House Speaker Anthony Rota and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after a WWII-era Nazi fighter was honored during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Parliament.
The move has also led to criticism of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for the “massive diplomatic embarrassment and shame.”
"This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the Parliament of Canada, and by extension, to all Canadians," said PM Trudeau as he commented on the honouring in the House of Commons, during President Zelenskyy’s visit, of a Ukrainian who fought in a WWII Nazi unit.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/932wLn8i6P
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) September 25, 2023
During Zelenskyy’s address in the House of Commons, Canadian lawmakers gave a standing ovation to 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, whom Rota introduced as a war hero who fought for the 1st Ukrainian Division. Notably, this division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division, a voluntary unit under Nazi command.
Rota has issued an apology and was forced to resign from his position as Speaker of the House after calls within his own party to do so, though he is still holds on to his position as a Liberal Member of Parliament.
"The work of this House is above any of us. Therefore, I must step down as your Speaker," said Anthony Rota, announcing his resignation over his honouring, during President Zelenskyy’s visit, of a Ukrainian who fought in a Nazi unit during WWII.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/ebHB8xxwWp
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) September 26, 2023
He took sole responsibility for inviting and recognizing Hunka and expressed deep regret for offending many with his actions, especially as the honoring took place on the eve of one of the holiest Jewish holidays, Yom Kippur.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies clarified that the Waffen-SS Galicia Division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with unimaginable brutality.
Prime Minister Trudeau acknowledged the incident as “extremely upsetting” and expressed embarrassment for all Canadians. He emphasized the importance of pushing back against Russian propaganda and maintaining unequivocal support for Ukraine.
Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre held Trudeau and the Liberal government accountable for the embarrassment and shame, calling on the prime minister to take responsibility for the incident.
"We need to have hearings now into how this was allowed to happen—how it is that the prime minister would have allowed President Zelenskyy to be in a room full of three or four hundred unvetted people," says Pierre Poilievre of Speaker's invite to Nazi-linked veteran.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/sWK9iOu3a7
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) September 26, 2023
The New Democratic Party House leader, Peter Julian, and Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet both called for Rota’s resignation, asserting that he had lost the confidence of the House.
The Trudeau Liberals are still claiming the PM had no idea that a Nazi veteran would be honoured in the House.@MelissaLantsman is not buying it:
"How many times am I gonna have to ask this PM for an apology? He has slandered, dishonoured, and embarrassed Holocaust survivors." pic.twitter.com/X7utbiVTad
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) September 26, 2023
House government leader Karina Gould, a descendant of Holocaust survivors, emphasized that neither the Canadian government nor the Ukrainian delegation had prior knowledge of Hunka’s recognition.
"Now we need to move forward in a way that parliamentarians can continue to operate with dignity, trust in the House, but also that Canadians have trust in Parliament," says Government House leader Karina Gould as she reacts to House Speaker Anthony Rota's resignation.#cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/FHCsvZ39VB
— CPAC (@CPAC_TV) September 26, 2023
In Moscow, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, criticized the incident as “outrageous” and stressed the importance of preserving the memory of the Nazis. He accused Western countries, including Canada, of raising a young generation that doesn’t understand the threat of fascism.
