Joly, Gould join calls for House Speaker to resign over Nazi unit veteran tribute
Anthony Rota to resign over his tribute to a Ukrainian man who fought with a Nazi unit.Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Government House Leader Karina Gould called for Rota to step down Tuesday, a day after the NDP and the Bloc Québécois demanded he resign as Speaker.Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has also called for Rota to step down.The controversy involves 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian-Canadian who fought for a Nazi war unit during the Second World War. Hunka was a guest of Rota’s during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Ottawa on Sept.
22.“I can’t see, based on the conversations that I’ve had, that he will continue to have the support of Liberal members of Parliament and I think it’s time for him to do the honourable thing,” Gould said.Joly said the recognition was “completely unacceptable.”“I think the Speaker should listen to members of the House and step down,” she added.Hunka fought for Nazi Germany as a member of the First Ukrainian Division, also known as the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS, during the Second World War. The “hero,” as Rota described last Friday, received two separate standing ovations in the House of Commons.“This was deeply embarrassing in the House and for Canada.
It’s a good thing that Speaker Rota apologized personally, and I’m sure he’s reflecting now on how you ensure the dignity of the House going forward,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters in Ottawa on Tuesday.He added House leaders will be having “very important conversations” later on Tuesday.Rota has apologized twice — first on Sunday when Hunka’s background emerged — and again on Monday. He said he had no knowledge of Hunka’s history, and expressed regret for his
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