Why a Canadian speaker's resignation echoed in Kyiv's diplomacy
A retrospective on the fallout from a parliamentary invitation that ended Anthony Rota's tenure as speaker of the House of Commons of Canada.
How did a ceremonial moment during a wartime visit end a speaker's career? On 27 September 2023, the question still hung over Ottawa, a day after Anthony Rota 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, and to introduce him to the House as a hero. Rota's resignation was announced on 26 September 2023.
What happened in the chamber
The episode dated to 22 September 2023. Hunka, who had fought in the SS Division Galicia, the military wing of the Nazi Party, was invited as a guest and recognised by Rota, the Member of Parliament for his district. He received two standing ovations from members of the House, among them Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, other party leaders and the visiting Ukrainian president.
Why it mattered
The invitation came from the speaker, and the resignation followed from his own decision to extend it. The visit by Zelenskyy was the occasion, but the choice of guest and the introduction were Rota's. That is the line along which the responsibility was drawn: the speaker stepped down over the invitation and the way he presented Hunka to the House.
