The Speaker of the House of Commons, Anthony Rota, is being called upon to resign following what some are calling an oversight during an event Friday in Ottawa.
During the visit and address to Parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Rota acknowledged a man in the gallery.
It was later revealed the man was a former soldier who fought against the Soviets in Ukraine during World War II, under the Waffen Grenadier Division of the Nazi SS.
Rota apologized to the Jewish community in a statement over the weekend, and reiterated his apology in the House of Commons Monday.
“I want to apologize for what happened, and really tell you the intention was not to embarrass this House.”
The ordeal has Parliamentarians split, with the NDP demanding Rota’s resignation, the Liberals wanting the acknowledgement of the man stricken from the record, and the Conservatives placing blame on the Liberals due to a lack of proper vetting, which the Speaker of the House has access to resources to do so.
