Canadian House Speaker Resigns Amid Row Over Parliament Honour To Man Who Fought For Nazis

Canadian House Speaker Anthony Rota has tendered his resignation after he apologised for honouring a World War II soldier with connections to a Nazi division.

File Photo of Canadian House Speaker Anthony Rota ( Image Source :Getty Images )

Anthony Rota, the Speaker of Canada's House of Commons, has resigned from his post after inadvertently commending a Ukrainian man with ties to a Nazi unit and inviting him to Parliament. Rota initially resisted calls for his resignation but ultimately stepped down after discussions with party leaders in Ottawa. In his statement to the Canadian parliament, Rota expressed his regret, saying, "I must step down as your Speaker. I reiterate my profound regret", the BBC reported.

The controversy stemmed from an incident during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's recent visit when Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old individual with a history tied to a Nazi unit, received a standing ovation after Rota referred to him as a "hero."

"He's a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service," he had said.

The Canadian House Speaker claimed he was unaware of Hunka's Nazi connections and admitted to making a mistake by inviting him to the event.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his dismay over the incident, stating, "This is something that is deeply embarrassing to the parliament of Canada and by extension to all Canadians", as quoted by the BBC in its report.

During World War Two, Yaroslav Hunka served in the 14th Waffen-SS Grenadier Division, a voluntary unit primarily composed of ethnic Ukrainians under Nazi command. While allegations of the division's involvement in the killing of Polish and Jewish civilians exist, it has not been found guilty of war crimes by any tribunal, the report mentioned.

House Speaker Rota had acknowledged the criticism and extended his apology to "Jewish communities in Canada and around the world."

"In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognised an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so," Rota stated in a released statement.

The move sparked immediate criticism from opposition leader Pierre Poilievre, who accused Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of personally meeting and honouring a veteran with connections to a Nazi division. Poilievre took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to express his outrage, stating, "Liberals then arranged for this Nazi veteran to be recognised on the floor of the House of Commons during the visit of the Ukrainian President."

The Leader of the opposition called for a "personal" apology from Prime Minister Trudeau. Pierre Poilievre argued that without prior warning or context, other parliamentarians in the room had no way of knowing about Hunka's controversial past.

"This is an appalling error in judgment on the part of Justin Trudeau, whose personal protocol office is responsible for arranging and vetting all guests and programming for state visits of this kind," Poilievre asserted.

"No parliamentarians (other than Justin Trudeau) had the opportunity to vet this individual’s past before he was introduced and honoured on the floor of the House of Commons," Poilievre added, emphasising that Trudeau must personally apologise rather than deflecting blame onto others.