Anthony Rota resigns amid mounting pressure after honoring a man who served in a Nazi unit in World War II.
The speaker of Canada’s Parliament has resigned, just days after he honored a man who fought in a Nazi unit during World War II during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the House of Commons last week.
Speaker Anthony Rota told Canadian lawmakers in Ottawa on Tuesday afternoon that he was resigning with a “heavy heart.”
“This house stands above each of us. That’s why I have to resign as your speaker,” said Rota, who invited Yaroslav Hunka to Friday’s special session of parliament in the lower house, where he praised the 98-year-old as a “Ukrainian hero.”
Hunka served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS military unit, said the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish community group.
He received a standing ovation in the House of Commons, including from Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who were in attendance.
“I once again express my deep regret over my error in recognizing an individual in the House of Representatives,” Rota said in Parliament Tuesday afternoon as he faced mounting calls for his resignation from advocacy groups, Canadian lawmakers and even top members of his own Liberal Party.
“This public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world, as well as survivors of Nazi atrocities in Poland and other countries,” he said.
His resignation will take effect at the end of the day on Wednesday, Rota added.
Canadian lawmakers from all major parties had called for Rota’s resignation, with Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly telling reporters on Tuesday morning that the incident was “an embarrassment for the House of Representatives and Canadians.”
“And I think the speaker should listen to the members of the House and resign,” she said.
The progressive New Democratic Party’s House leader, Peter Julian, said earlier this week that Rota had made “an unforgivable mistake that discredits the entire House of Representatives.”
Asked about his resignation Tuesday afternoon, Julian told reporters that steps must be taken “to ensure that something like this never happens again in a Canadian parliament.”
He added that it was unclear when the next speaker would be voted on.
The Speaker of the House of Commons is elected by his parliamentary colleagues to lead proceedings in the chamber.
The episode came as Zelensky, who is Jewish, addressed Canadian parliamentarians on Friday for the second time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of his country in February last year.
The Russian authorities justified their ongoing attack on Ukraine with the push to “denazify” the country. Kiev and its allies have dismissed this as Russian propaganda and accused Moscow of trying to steal land.
I’m glad the Speaker of the House of Commons quickly apologized and took responsibility for this mistake, but it was so egregious – so damaging to Canada, our Parliament and our Ukrainian partners, and so offensive to Jews everywhere – that he must resign . https://t.co/8gENJMQpbx
— Roland Paris (@rolandparis) September 25, 2023
Russia said it was “outrageous” that Hunka was honored in Canada. “Such negligence in remembrance is outrageous,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“Many Western countries, including Canada, have raised a young generation who do not know who fought who or what happened during World War II. And they know nothing about the threat of fascism.”
Roland Paris, director of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa, said earlier this week that Rota’s quick apology was welcomed but did not go far enough.
“It was so outrageous — so damaging to Canada, our Parliament and our Ukrainian partners, and so offensive to Jews everywhere — that he must resign,” Paris wrote on social media.
Trudeau, who called the events “deeply embarrassing” for Canada, was also questioned by MPs from the opposition Conservative Party about what he knew about Hunka’s background and how he was vetted.
Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, accused the prime minister on Tuesday of failing to “check his massive diplomatic and intelligence apparatus and prevent the honoring of a Nazi.”