Canada Parliament Speaker Resigns After Tribute to Nazi-linked Veteran – News18

The speaker of Canada’s parliament resigned on Tuesday, days after he singled out a Ukrainian veteran who apparently fought for the Nazis during World War II for a standing ovation during a visit by Ukraine’s leader.

“It is with a heavy heart that I rise to inform members of my resignation as Speaker of the House of Commons,” Anthony Rota told lawmakers from the parliamentary floor.

The applause came as President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the Canadian parliament on Friday, with speaker Anthony Rota paying homage to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant.

Rota hailed Hunka as “a Ukrainian-Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians” and “a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero.”

But Hunka actually served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, “a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well-documented,” according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.

On Tuesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly joined a chorus of people calling on the speaker to resign.

“What happened on Friday is completely unacceptable,” she told reporters at parliament.

“It as an embarrassment to the House and to Canadians, and I think the speaker should listen to members of the House and step down.”

Several political parties in Canada have urged Rota to step down.

Rota, a Liberal MP, apologized on Sunday, saying that he had “subsequently become aware of more information” which caused him to regret his remarks about Hunka.

“This initiative was entirely my own … I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world,” he said.

Rota said he had spoken out about Hunka because he is from the lawmaker’s electoral district.

On Monday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Rota’s remarks shameful.

A small faction allied with Trudeau’s Liberals has called for Rota to resign while the main opposition Conservatives slammed the Trudeau administration for failing to properly vet Hunka, despite claims it had no advance notice he’d been invited to the event.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)