Canada: House Speaker Resigns After Honoring Nazi WWII Soldier

Image copyright: [via Anthony Rota]

The Facts

  • Canada's House of Commons speaker resigned on Tuesday after inviting and honoring a Ukrainian man who fought for a Nazi unit in World War II.

  • Anthony Rota invited the 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka to parliament as Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Canada on Friday and made an address to the country's legislators. Rota introduced Hunka as a "hero" who "fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today."


The Spin

Narrative A

While it is right that Rota resigned, he is not the only one that ought to go. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must also take responsibility for his part in this scandal and remove himself from his role.

Narrative B

After such a monumental mistake, Rota's resignation was inevitable. However, calls for Trudeau to also resign are wrong-headed. The mistake was the speaker's alone.


Metaculus Prediction