Anthony Rota, House of Commons Speaker, is stepping down after honouring a Nazi war veteran during Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodomyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Canadian Parliament.
Yaroslav Hunka was recognized as a “Ukrainian hero” and received a standing ovation at a special session of Parliament that was attended by Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Trudeau on Friday.
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish community group, said that 98-year-old Hunka had served in the 14th Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi’s SS military unit.
Although advocacy groups and several MPs across party lines called for his resignation after this information came to light, Rota who appologized for damaging Parliament’s reputation initially refused to step down.
Prime Minister Trudeau also admitted the deep embarrassment the incident caused Canada, but acknowledged the apology and stopped short of asking Rota to step down.
Rota says his resignation will come into effect at the end of the day on Wednesday.
“I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognising an individual in the House,” Rota said in Parliament on Tuesday afternoon amids calls for resignation.
“That public recognition has caused pain to individuals and communities, including the Jewish community in Canada and around the world, in addition to survivors of Nazi atrocities in Poland, among other nations,” he added.
