A Politician’s Propensity toward Platitude Destroys His Career

After Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, addressed a joint sitting of the House of Commons and Senate on Thursday, 21 September 2023, Anthony Rota, the Speaker of the House of Commons, recognised an elderly man in the galleries:

“We have here in the chamber today a Ukrainian Canadian war veteran from the Second World War who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians and continues to support the troops today even at his age of 98. His name is Yaroslav Hunka. I am very proud to say that he is from North Bay and from my riding of Nipissing—Timiskaming. He is a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service. Thank you.”[1]

Rota’s praise precipitated a standing ovation. This seemed in the moment like the sort of innocuous and innocent platitude that politicians routinely make about their own constituencies, and it formed but one part of his closing remarks to the Ukrainian delegation.

But media coverage soon revealed that Yaroslav Hunka served as a stormtrooper in a Ukrainian Waffen-SS regiment called the Galicia Division, which subsequently renamed itself the First Ukrainian Division after the Second World War. After Hitler abrogated the Non-Aggression Pact with Stalin and launched Operation Barbarossa in 1941, the Third Reich quickly swept across the portions of Poland which the USSR had first invaded in 1939 and then into the USSR itself, later raising several volunteer units of the Waffen-SS, the combat division of the most ideologically fanatical part of the Nazi State. Yaroslav Hunka is therefore a Nazi – not a neo-Nazi but an OG Nazi – who would have pledged a personal oath of allegiance to Adolf Hitler as a condition of enlistment and whose regiment took part in numerous atrocities against civilians throughout the War.

According to Colby Cosh of the National Post, Yaroslav Hunka even wrote an essay 12 years ago entitled in English “My Generation,” in which he described his experience in the Second World War and praised Adolf Hitler as the “liberator of the Ukrainian people” and noted that “We gladly welcomed the German soldiers” when they marched into Berezhany (now the western part of modern Ukraine but then the southeastern part of Inter-War Poland) in July 1941. This does not sound like the lament of a man caught up in the impossible conundrum and false choice between the twin totalitarianisms of Communism under Stalin and Nazism under Hitler, with which so many eastern Europeans had to contend, who then reluctantly had to support one faction over the other. Instead, he sounds more like an enthusiastic believer in the latter. The perverse irony remains that Hitler hated Slavic peoples, so Hunka maintains this lingering admiration all these decades later for a vile mass-murderer who would have despised him simply for existing.

As Cosh also observed, Rota blundered his way into singling out a Waffen-SS stormtrooper for praise and a standing ovation as a “Ukrainian hero” and “Canadian hero” only through the confluence of a series of unlikely events: that Yaroslav Hunka has lived to the age of 98, well beyond the average life expectancy of a man in Canada, and that he just happens to live in Rota’s own riding, and that Rota therefore chose to invite him to watch Zelenskyy’s speech, and that Hunka accepted the invitation to attend.[2] If Hunka had lived in any other riding, Rota probably would not have invited him at all, let along have singled him out in his speech following Zelenskyy’s address, and this nonagenarian Nazi would have disappeared into the ether after proving the case once more for banal evil.

The Speaker of the House of Commons comes in fifth in the official Order of Precedence of Canada (after the Governor General, Prime Minister, Chief Justice, and Speaker of the Senate)[3]; he represents the House of Commons as an institution and in some respects represents Canada as a State in his diplomatic and ceremonial roles – such as when he speaks after a foreign head of state had just addressed a joint sitting of the House of Commons and Senate. Rota carried out the same function with no controversy after President Biden’s address earlier this year. But in this case, Anthony Rota severely embarrassed Canada and played into the propaganda of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who initially justified Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 as a part of a campaign of “denazification.”[4] Rota also made all Canadian members of parliament – to say nothing of our Ukrainian guests and Zelenskyy himself – look foolish and ignorant.

Rota apologised for his inexplicable blunder on Monday, 25 September at the start of the sitting day:

On Friday, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. My intention was to show that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not a new one, that Ukrainians have unfortunately been subject to foreign aggression for far too long and this must end.

I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to recognize this individual. I wish to apologize to the House. I am deeply sorry that I have offended many with my gesture and remarks.

I would also like to add that this initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention. No one, including you, my fellow parliamentarians, or the Ukraine delegation, was privy to my remarks pri‐ or to their delivery.

I thank all members for their attention.[5]

Rota’s apology did not suffice and only sharpened calls for him to resign given that his remarks have caused a series of international incidents – including calls from Poland to extradite Hunka.[6]

Rota announced before the House of Commons on 26 September that his resignation will take effect “at the end of the sitting day tomorrow, Wednesday, September 27^th, to allow preparations for the election of a new Speaker.” Rota further explained: “Until that time, the Deputy Speaker will chair the House’s proceedings.”

What Happens When a Speaker Resigns

Section 45 of the Constitution Act, 1867 says, in its bizarre, 19^th-century German-style capitalisation: “In case of a Vacancy happening in the Office of Speaker by Death, Resignation, or otherwise, the House of Commons shall with all practicable Speed proceed to elect another Member to be Speaker.”

Standing Order 2 of the House of Commons flows from and echo this constitutional provision:

First Order of Business

(1) At the opening of the first session of a Parliament, and at any other time as determined pursuant to section (2) of this standing order, the election of a Speaker shall be the firstorder of business and shall not be interrupted by any other proceeding.

Vacancy in the Office of Speaker

(2) When there is, or is to be, a vacancy in the Office of the Speaker, whether at the opening of a Parliament, or because the incumbent of that office has indicated his or her intention to resign the Office of Speaker, or for any other reason, the members, when they are ready, shall proceed to the election of a Speaker.

Precedence over all other business. Adjournment of the House.

(3) The election of a Speaker shall take precedence over all other business and no motion for adjournment nor any other motion shall be accepted while it is proceeding and the House shall continue to sit, if necessary, beyond its ordinary hour of daily adjournment, notwithstanding any other standing or special order, until a Speaker is declared elected, and is installed in the chair in the usual manner, provided that if the House has continued to sit beyond its ordinary hour of daily adjournment, the Speaker shall thereupon adjourn the House until the next sitting day.[7]

The House of Commons has scheduled itself to sit until Friday, 6 October. But as of Thursday, 28 September, the House will not be able to transact any other business until it elects a new Speaker.[8] I suspect that the Deputy Speaker will preside over the proceedings rather than the Father of the House.[9]

The speakership has become vacant before by reason of death, resignation, or when the incumbent accepts an appointment to another office which necessitates his or her resignation as a member of the House of Commons altogether. James David Edgar died in office on 31 July 1899, and the House of Commons elected his replacement the next day. Louis Philippe Brodeur (who served as Speaker from 1901 to 1904) vacated the office on 18 January 1904 when Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier elevated him to cabinet as Minister of Inland Revenue.[10] Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden appointed Thomas Simpson Sproule to the Senate on 2 December 1915, the speakership became vacant. Borden likewise forced the next Speaker, Albert Sevigny, to vacate the chair on 7 January 1917 when he appointed him – in a strange coincidence – as Minister of Inland Revenue as well.[11] (Prior to 1931, any MP who accepted an appointment of emolument under the Crown, including a post in cabinet, automatically resigned and had to run in a by-election.[12]) These three vacancies all arose during adjournments or intersessions.

The 20^th century saw three other precedents. George Black resigned during an intersession on 15 January 1935 after suffering a nervous breakdown, and members elected his replacement at the opening of the 6^th session of the 17^th Parliament on 17 January 1935. Pierre Trudeau advised Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to appoint Jeanne Sauvé as Governor General, which forced her to resign as an MP and Speaker on 6 January 1984. Not long thereafter, John Bosley resigned as Speaker on 29 September 1986 so that the House of Commons could exercise its new authority of electing the Speaker by secret ballot; he presided over the election of his successor, John Fraser.[13] Prior to this reform, the Prime Minister in effect chose the Speaker of the House and tabled the motion nominating his preferred candidate, which the House of Commons always adopted. None of these previous speakers resigned due to obvious personal misconduct or an indiscretion on the scale of applauding a former SS stormtrooper sitting in the galleries; they resigned due to ill health, accepting another appointment, or perhaps as in Bosley’s case due to a lack of procedural confidence. Rota has become the first Speaker to resign in disgrace.

The current Deputy Speaker, Conservative MP Chris d’Entremont, would seem the most obvious and expeditious choice for the next Speaker to preside over the rest of this 44th Parliament, unless the Liberals insist on electing another Liberal MP with the support of the New Democrats.

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Notes

[1] Anthony Rota (Speaker of the House of Commons), “Appendix: Address of His Excellent Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, to Both Houses of Parliament in the House of Commons Chamber, Ottawa, on Friday, September 22, 2023,” House of Commons Debates, 44^th Parliament, 1^st Session, Volume 151, No. 222, Thursday, 21 September 2023, at page 16,856.

[2] Colby Cosh, “Feting a Nazi Was Not Even the Worst of Anthony Rota’s Sins,” National Post, 25 September 2023.

[3] Audrey O’Brien and Marc Bosc, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, 2^nd Edition (Ottawa, House of Commons, 2009), at page 305.

[4] Miriam Berger, “Putin Says He Will ‘Denazify’ Ukraine. Here’s the History Behind the Claim,” The Washington Post, 25 February 2022.

[5] Anthony Rota (Speaker of the House of Commons), “Apology by the Speaker,” House of Commons Debates, 44^th Parliament, 1^st Session, Volume 151, No. 223, Monday, 25 September 2023, at page 16,857.

[6] Peter Zimonjic, “Poland’s Education Minister Says He’s ‘Taken Steps’ to Extradite Yaroslav Hunka,” CBC News, 26 September 2023.

[7] Standing Orders of the House of Commons, Including Appendices (Ottawa: House of Commons, September 2023), S.O. 2(1-3), at page 3.

[8] Audrey O’Brien and Marc Bosc, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, 2^nd Edition (Ottawa, House of Commons, 2009), 339-340.

[9] Standing Orders of the House of Commons, Including Appendices (Ottawa: House of Commons, September 2023), S.O. 3(1)(c), at page 4.

[10] Canada, Privy Council Office, “Eighth Ministry” in Guide to Ministries Since Confederation, accessed 26 September 2023.

[11] Canada, Privy Council Office, “Nineth Ministry” in Guide to Ministries Since Confederation, accessed 26 September 2023.

[12] Audrey O’Brien and Marc Bosc, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, 2^nd Edition (Ottawa, House of Commons, 2009), 341.

[13] Audrey O’Brien and Marc Bosc, House of Commons Procedure and Practice, 2^nd Edition (Ottawa, House of Commons, 2009), 340-341.