The Speaker of the House of Commons Anthony Rota shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. During Zelenskyy's visit to Ottawa, MPs in the House of Commons honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the First Ukrainian Division. Hunka was invited by Rota, who introduced him. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
OTTAWA – NDP House leader Peter Julian is calling on House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota to step down after he invited a man who fought for the Nazis to attend a speech by the Ukrainian president.
The call for the Speaker’s resignation on Monday morning was quickly backed up by the Bloc Québécois, which by midday issued a statement calling for the same.
Rota issued a written apology Sunday and repeated it in the House Monday morning. He said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Yaroslav Hunka last Friday, who fought for the First Ukrainian Division during the Second World War.
“I am deeply sorry that I have offended many with my gesture and remarks,” said Rota.
“No one – not even anyone among you, fellow parliamentarians, or from the Ukrainian delegation – was privy to my intention or my remarks prior to their delivery.”
Rota’s recognition of Hunka was met Friday with a standing ovation from MPs – twice.
On Monday morning, government House leader Karina Gould said his decision to invite the man was “deeply embarrassing” and called on MPs to work together to strike the recognition from the record.
She said that as a Canadian of Jewish origin and a descendent of Holocaust survivors, she felt “particularly hurt” by the situation.
The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday saying the division “was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.”
Julian told the House that Rota’s was an “unforgivable” error that brought disrepute to the House of Commons.
“Unfortunately, I believe a sacred trust has been broken,” he told the Speaker. “It’s for that reason, for the good of the institution of the House of Commons, that I say sadly I don’t believe you can continue in this role. Regrettably, I must respectfully ask that you step aside.”
Gould repeatedly asserted on Monday that neither the government of Canada nor the Ukrainian delegation had any knowledge that the 98-year-old Hunka had been invited to attend an address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In a statement written in French, Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Rota had lost the confidence of the House.
The Tories have so far stopped short of asking Rota to resign.
Instead, Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer placed the blame with the Prime Minister’s Office, saying the government had a responsibility to vet attendees of such a high-profile event for security reasons.
He noted a “straightforward Google search” would have shown the division in which Hunka served during the war.
“If that basic level of vetting is not done by the government, that raises serious concerns. What kind of message does that send to our allies all over the world?”
In a statement, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said Rota had
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.
