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.
Apologizing in the House today, Rota says he alone was responsible for inviting and recognizing Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.
Government House leader Karina Gould called the move, which had prompted a standing ovation from MPs in the House of Commons, “deeply embarrassing” and is seeking to strike it from the record.
Gould says neither the government of Canada nor the Ukrainian delegation had any knowledge of Hunka’s invitation.
Conservative House leader Andrew Scheer is still placing 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.
Julian told the House that Rota’s was an “unforgivable” error that broke a “sacred trust,” and that the Speaker should step aside for the good of the institution.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 25, 2023.
