Canada’s House speaker resigns after inviting man who fought for a Nazi unit

The speaker of Canada’s House of Commons has resigned after inviting a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during the Second World War to Parliament to attend a speech by the Ukrainian president.

Just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him.

Mr Rota introduced Mr Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.

It later was publicised that 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.

“No-one in this House is above any of us. Therefore I must step down as your speaker,” Mr Rota said in Parliament. “I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognising an individual in the House during the joint address to Parliament of President Zelensky.”

“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world in addition to Nazi survivors in Poland among other nations. I accept full responsibility for my actions,” he added.

Mr Rota stepped down after meeting with the House of Commons’ party leaders later on Tuesday.

All main opposition parties called for Mr Rota to step down, and government House leader Karina Gould said that lawmakers had lost confidence in him.

“This is something that has brought shame and embarrassment to all of Parliament and indeed all Canadians. The speaker did the honourable thing in resigning,” Ms Gould said.

Ms Gould said she is of Jewish origin and a descendent of a Holocaust survivor.

“This incident hurt me personally as it hurt all members of this House and all Canadians,” she said.

Ms Gould earlier said Mr Rota invited and recognised Mr Hunka without informing the government or the delegation from Ukraine.

Canadian Health Minister Mark Holland had called the incident “incredibly embarrassing.”

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies said in a statement that the incident “has left a stain on our country’s venerable legislature with profound implications both in Canada and globally.”

“This incident has compromised all 338 Members of Parliament and has also handed a propaganda victory to Russia, distracting from what was a momentously significant display of unity between Canada and Ukraine. It has also caused great pain to Canada’s Jewish community, Holocaust survivors, veterans and other victims of the Nazi regime.”

In an earlier apology on Sunday, Mr Rota said he alone was responsible for inviting and recognising Mr Hunka, who is from the district that Mr Rota represents.

The speaker’s office said on Monday it was Mr Rota’s son who contacted Mr Hunka’s local office to see if it was possible if he could attend Mr Zelensky’s speech.

Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Mr Hunka unaware of the details of who he was.

The prime minister’s office said it was unaware that Mr Hunka was invited until after the address. The speaker’s office also confirmed it did not share its invite list with any other party or group. The vetting process for visitors to the gallery is for physical security threats, not reputational threats, the speaker’s office said.

In Moscow, a Kremlin spokesman said it was “outrageous” that Mr Hunka received a standing ovation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has painted his enemies in Ukraine as “neo-Nazis,” although Mr Zelensky is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust.

“It’s highly unfortunate and the only winner here is the Putin regime, which is already spinning what happened on Friday to justify its ongoing military actions in Ukraine,” said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

The opposition Conservatives in Canada have blamed PM Justin Trudeau, but Mr Beland noted that the speaker’s role in Canada is as an officer of Parliament who does not participate in partisan caucus meetings and is not a member of the Cabinet.