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How a Kyiv visit led to a Speaker's exit
Summary
A retrospective on the Canadian parliamentary controversy that followed President Zelenskyy's address in Ottawa.
What happens when a ceremonial gesture in a national parliament turns into a political crisis? On 27 September 2023, the aftermath of such a moment was still unfolding in Canada. The day before, on 26 September 2023, Anthony Rota had resigned as speaker of the House of Commons of Canada.
The controversy centred on his decision to invite Yaroslav Hunka, a Ukrainian–Canadian veteran of the Waffen-SS, to attend a speech by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Rota had also introduced Hunka to the House of Commons as a "hero".
The episode dated back to 22 September 2023. Hunka, who had fought in the SS Division Galicia, the military wing of the Nazi Party's Waffen-SS, was invited to the chamber to be recognised by Rota, the Member of Parliament for Hunka's district. Hunka received two standing ovations from all members of the house, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, other party leaders and the visiting Ukrainian president.
By 27 September 2023, the matter had left the speaker's chair vacant and placed the invitation, and the recognition that followed it, at the centre of Canadian political debate.
