Unlike Rempel, I won’t pretend that we, were we in power, might not have made the same mistake due to ignorance or sloppiness but the point is that WE didn’t. THEY DID. So, so much for theoretical academic exercises. This is about as bad as it can get and only they get to wear it. Humans are often lazy, status quo oriented, incompetent and not too bright. This is a textbook example of that. Fits right in perfectly with the Trudeau Liberal government profile.
I actually feel bad for Rota. Isn’t arrogant and smug like Regan and manages to hide his partisanship better. I don’t believe he was the only one who screwed up here(assuming he actually did). Look at this pic of Hunka about to meet Justin and Zelenskyy. Wouldn’t both the Ukraine and Canadian security people have vetted him first?
I imagine Zelenskyy relies on the competence of his hosts. Big mistake, ever relying on this idiot PM and Deputy PM. FFS, she specialized in foreign policy and economic affairs and now she comes off as Sergeant Schultz? Not even remotely credible. So much for her future as SG of NATO. She’s finished now. Biden will drop her like a hot potato.
You feel sorry for Rota? Do you think that the meeting in the pic was a chance encounter? What liberal MP would have arranged the new for his constituent? I’m guessing the same one who called him out for recognition.
The press is reporting that some division members were allowed to emigrate to Canada in the fifties. It’s not clear if most of them came via British war camps. Anyway, none of them were ever deported. St-Laurent, Diefenbaker, who let them in?
I realize that the Speaker is prepared to take the heat for his serious blunder, and good on him.
In the Big Picture, the blunder fits right in with an unserious Government that is always on the hunt for wonderful optics to associate itself with. The Liberals got a Two-fer with Trudeau-Zelensky bear hugs, applause all around! And ice that cake with a 98 year old WW2 veteran, except nobody ever considered that the guy might have a shady war history.
That’s quite an accomplishment for a Country that has a proud record of fighting Nazis in Europe and the dead in war cemeteries to prove it.
Canada let in plenty of Nazis after the war, and not just from Germany. Stuff about the unit this guy was in has been circulating for years. How could someone not realize that if the gentleman in question had been fighting against the Soviet Union 80 years ago, on whose side was he fighting? President Zelenskyy doesn’t get a pass either.
I will get into the political shit pile in a moment but ( and I loathe the excusatory nature of the word but) …
I’m grateful that in the whitewashed historical context of today where EVERYTHING is easily judged that I never had this veteran’s choices
Dude had options; 1) enlist with the nazis to fight communism 2) enlist with the red army to fight Hitler 3) try to avoid conflict and be shot by one side or another as a partisan
That maniac with the moustache had no interest in liberation he was looking to ethnically cleanse than repopulate. (As Putin is doing today with a similar appeasement to date) Did anyone mention his nation’s oppression of a decade or so earlier via planned starvation by Stalin?
All I am saying is let’s not sacrifice this old man on the altar of political correctness.
Now to that steaming pile…
… didn’t this same prime minister organize a bash in India where one if his MPs invited someone that the locals viewed as a terrorist?
…didn’t this same PM have to kick out of party a now elected as independent and now sitting MP prior to last election due to embarrassing vetting? (Or more accurately NO vetting)
…didn’t this same prime minister approve the “independent” speaker to run and run again as a Liberal MP? Rota was most of all recognizing a resident of his elect-a-liberal constituency as a high profile liberal looking to score points.
…didn’t his finance minister face similar trumped up accusations of nazism about her father a few years ago by Putin?
There are lots of “human moments” we may otherwise call mistakes. None of us are perfect. Human condition is not an excuse for failing to EVER put in an effort.
No leading democracy would have permitted all these lapses and shrug them off. I’m guessing that no-one invited to congress and no one set to meet the two presidents there in Washington would have passed very basic vetting.
It’s just another chapter in the “how to look good and fail at everything” handbook written by this idiot.
I’m too damned young to recall any serious war actions by my country. Even my parents and grandparents never had to fight. I am returning from a weekend to honour some 400 veterans who gave their all. The 5 or 6 that I have enough knowledge about all came home with “shell shock“ they literally beat wives (one killed) they drank hard and they were generally not good men by today’s standards. Today’s veterans come home with PTSD. They get real help and still some fail at re-integration.
My conclusion- leave the old man out of this and judge those who lecture us about virtue but display an incompetent pattern that is so bad that I have to rule out competence and question character.
The liberal house leader asks us not to politicize the error. If providing an enemy (Putin) with a million dollar piece of not even made up propaganda is not a huge political error what the fuck is it?
From my admittedly limited knowledge of Mr Hunka’s background, it is my understanding that he was born and grew up in an area of Eastern Europe that at the time was part of Eastern Poland, but later (post Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) became part of Ukraine, although de-facto part of the Soviet Union. This was actually to his benefit, because if he had been born into the part of Ukraine that was in the Soviet Union, he might not have made it through childhood. It was also to his benefit after the war, because when the Soviets demanded the Allies turn over any “Soviet citizens” who had been captured, or were part of the displaced persons in Europe, the men who were part of 14th SS Division Galicia came from pre-war Poland, and therefore were not technically Soviet citizens. This may sound like splitting hairs, but due to the atrocities committed by the Red Army, there was resistance to turning over captured personnel to them. I doubt we will ever know the actual circumstances that existed when Mr Hunka decided to enlist. It should be noted that a few thousand Ukrainians fought in the 14th SS, and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fought for the Red Army.
People need to read what Rota said in his statement. He is taking responsibility for RECOGNIZING him nit INVITING him.
On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so.
I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them.
This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention.
I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.
I accept full responsibility for my actions.
Don’t usually watch much of the HOC other than QP. Watching Goold(sic) right now trying to talk her way out of this mess. Still trying to hang this on Rota for inviting him and recognizing him but she is still all over the map on the vetting process. Who needs enemies when you roll with this bunch. I wonder how this is going:
Warren, you like to remind us that the PMO runs everything these days. I think Katie has her hands too full and overlooked this one. It’s on her, and therefore on Justin.
I am sick and tired of my country looking stupid 9n the world stage. Do these Parliamentarians not have staff who can do a bit of research before inviting guests to the House of Commons?
And who would that be who’s shocked? No one. That guy couldn’t talk his way out of a paper bag. Typical Trudeau. He just loves to confirm from all of us that he’s a dunce.
Yet as I watch QP live on Youtube in the background not only is Rota still there (despite admitting he bares sole responsibility) but as Pierre pointed out Trudeau is in Ottawa today but is letting his Jewish descendant of Holocaust survivors Leader of the Government answer on his behalf. Pretty shameful to have to put her in that position to answer for his government’s blunder.
Hot take on QP:
Gerretsen had to make his basically daily non-apology for saying something stupid.
Goold(sic) kept saying this was on Rota.
Goold(sic) and the rest of the cult had no response to the problematic fact that everyone in the House that day should have been vetted.
Goold(sic) tried to pull the Orwellian stunt of having the recognition of the Nazi stricken from Hansard.
“Do you realize that the past, starting from yesterday, has been actually abolished? ….. Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”
Someone needs to tell the political types of all stripes that research matters, history matters, and keyboards and clicking may not give all the answers. Research and verify, and maybe research some more before taking something as a fact.
Hire some reference librarians and researchers before acting; get the information right and the details. Get credible info from all sources; print and electronic, primary and secondary. I am sure that a few calls or emails to a military archives would have given the full picture of this man’s service and assorted other info on his unit and commanders, etc..
How this man was not checked out thoroughly with a complete bio etc being presented to the Speaker’s office prior to the confirmation of the visit is really difficult to understand. No one in the tightly controlled PMO asked either? Good lord people, ask questions about everything and do not accept someone’s word on an issue.
People lie (consciously and unconsciously) and have faulty memories so checking information on a subject or person is not insulting, it is just good practice before presenting information as fact. Apparently librarians and researchers are not the ones receiving those nice consulting contracts that we read about so often.
I am so embarrassed by our government, and tired of being embarrassed by them internationally. No depth, no sense, no integrity, and apparently no ability to find things out either. I guess the facts could destroy the story as told.
I am so tired of spin and lies; the lack of credibility and integrity exhibited by many (all parties) infuriates me.
The House can vote no confidence in a speaker which would remove him. That’s the general principle. Not an expert. Is it by motion, order, resolution or something else?
And yes, virtually guaranteed that the New Democrats will continue to prop up this corrupt and incompetent government but … I’d still love to see a non-confidence vote.
Opposition days are predetermined. But they can be changed at the last minute. I think the Harper government once switched an opposition day at the last minute because a non-confidence motion was coming.
Did the PMO know about the guest list?
Given that Justin admires the ‘basic dictatorship’ of China, nothing Liberals do surprises me.
Peter,
They claim total ignorance, normally a Trudeau specialty. I think that deleted tweet proves they’re lying, in spades.
Unlike Rempel, I won’t pretend that we, were we in power, might not have made the same mistake due to ignorance or sloppiness but the point is that WE didn’t. THEY DID. So, so much for theoretical academic exercises. This is about as bad as it can get and only they get to wear it. Humans are often lazy, status quo oriented, incompetent and not too bright. This is a textbook example of that. Fits right in perfectly with the Trudeau Liberal government profile.
I actually feel bad for Rota. Isn’t arrogant and smug like Regan and manages to hide his partisanship better. I don’t believe he was the only one who screwed up here(assuming he actually did). Look at this pic of Hunka about to meet Justin and Zelenskyy. Wouldn’t both the Ukraine and Canadian security people have vetted him first?
https://x.com/suenormoyle/status/1706112976866967742?s=61&t=xbWstdl53pjcktnaCt6MzA
I said this last week but QP should be interesting.
Martin,
I imagine Zelenskyy relies on the competence of his hosts. Big mistake, ever relying on this idiot PM and Deputy PM. FFS, she specialized in foreign policy and economic affairs and now she comes off as Sergeant Schultz? Not even remotely credible. So much for her future as SG of NATO. She’s finished now. Biden will drop her like a hot potato.
I zee noth-ing.
I hear nothing, I know nothing…
You feel sorry for Rota? Do you think that the meeting in the pic was a chance encounter? What liberal MP would have arranged the new for his constituent? I’m guessing the same one who called him out for recognition.
Warren,
The press is reporting that some division members were allowed to emigrate to Canada in the fifties. It’s not clear if most of them came via British war camps. Anyway, none of them were ever deported. St-Laurent, Diefenbaker, who let them in?
Meh, we seem to be good with Monuments so why is any of this a surprise. About 5000 nazis found refuged here in Canada and not South America.
http://espritdecorps.ca/history-feature/tear-down-nazi-collaborator-monuments-in-canada-honour-ukrainian-canadian-war-vets-instead
http://espritdecorps.ca/history-feature/the-rcaf-officer-who-brought-hitlers-waffen-ss-to-canada
https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/na0623-nazis
Nazigate is trending in Canada.
I realize that the Speaker is prepared to take the heat for his serious blunder, and good on him.
In the Big Picture, the blunder fits right in with an unserious Government that is always on the hunt for wonderful optics to associate itself with. The Liberals got a Two-fer with Trudeau-Zelensky bear hugs, applause all around! And ice that cake with a 98 year old WW2 veteran, except nobody ever considered that the guy might have a shady war history.
That’s quite an accomplishment for a Country that has a proud record of fighting Nazis in Europe and the dead in war cemeteries to prove it.
Canada let in plenty of Nazis after the war, and not just from Germany. Stuff about the unit this guy was in has been circulating for years. How could someone not realize that if the gentleman in question had been fighting against the Soviet Union 80 years ago, on whose side was he fighting? President Zelenskyy doesn’t get a pass either.
Is this the Liberal war room in action? (Sarcasm, sort of)
They’ve successfully diverted attention away from Chinese election interference and Chinese police stations in Canada.
Or perhaps it’s a great example of the Peter Principle (people in a hierarchy tend to rise to a level of respective incompetence).
Time to rename it the Trudeau Principle?
I will get into the political shit pile in a moment but ( and I loathe the excusatory nature of the word but) …
I’m grateful that in the whitewashed historical context of today where EVERYTHING is easily judged that I never had this veteran’s choices
Dude had options; 1) enlist with the nazis to fight communism 2) enlist with the red army to fight Hitler 3) try to avoid conflict and be shot by one side or another as a partisan
That maniac with the moustache had no interest in liberation he was looking to ethnically cleanse than repopulate. (As Putin is doing today with a similar appeasement to date) Did anyone mention his nation’s oppression of a decade or so earlier via planned starvation by Stalin?
All I am saying is let’s not sacrifice this old man on the altar of political correctness.
Now to that steaming pile…
… didn’t this same prime minister organize a bash in India where one if his MPs invited someone that the locals viewed as a terrorist?
…didn’t this same PM have to kick out of party a now elected as independent and now sitting MP prior to last election due to embarrassing vetting? (Or more accurately NO vetting)
…didn’t this same prime minister approve the “independent” speaker to run and run again as a Liberal MP? Rota was most of all recognizing a resident of his elect-a-liberal constituency as a high profile liberal looking to score points.
…didn’t his finance minister face similar trumped up accusations of nazism about her father a few years ago by Putin?
There are lots of “human moments” we may otherwise call mistakes. None of us are perfect. Human condition is not an excuse for failing to EVER put in an effort.
No leading democracy would have permitted all these lapses and shrug them off. I’m guessing that no-one invited to congress and no one set to meet the two presidents there in Washington would have passed very basic vetting.
It’s just another chapter in the “how to look good and fail at everything” handbook written by this idiot.
I’m too damned young to recall any serious war actions by my country. Even my parents and grandparents never had to fight. I am returning from a weekend to honour some 400 veterans who gave their all. The 5 or 6 that I have enough knowledge about all came home with “shell shock“ they literally beat wives (one killed) they drank hard and they were generally not good men by today’s standards. Today’s veterans come home with PTSD. They get real help and still some fail at re-integration.
My conclusion- leave the old man out of this and judge those who lecture us about virtue but display an incompetent pattern that is so bad that I have to rule out competence and question character.
The liberal house leader asks us not to politicize the error. If providing an enemy (Putin) with a million dollar piece of not even made up propaganda is not a huge political error what the fuck is it?
From my admittedly limited knowledge of Mr Hunka’s background, it is my understanding that he was born and grew up in an area of Eastern Europe that at the time was part of Eastern Poland, but later (post Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact) became part of Ukraine, although de-facto part of the Soviet Union. This was actually to his benefit, because if he had been born into the part of Ukraine that was in the Soviet Union, he might not have made it through childhood. It was also to his benefit after the war, because when the Soviets demanded the Allies turn over any “Soviet citizens” who had been captured, or were part of the displaced persons in Europe, the men who were part of 14th SS Division Galicia came from pre-war Poland, and therefore were not technically Soviet citizens. This may sound like splitting hairs, but due to the atrocities committed by the Red Army, there was resistance to turning over captured personnel to them. I doubt we will ever know the actual circumstances that existed when Mr Hunka decided to enlist. It should be noted that a few thousand Ukrainians fought in the 14th SS, and hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fought for the Red Army.
People need to read what Rota said in his statement. He is taking responsibility for RECOGNIZING him nit INVITING him.
On Friday, September 22, in my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so.
I wish to make clear that no one, including fellow parliamentarians and the Ukraine delegation, was aware of my intention or of my remarks before I delivered them.
This initiative was entirely my own, the individual in question being from my riding and having been brought to my attention.
I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world.
I accept full responsibility for my actions.
Don’t usually watch much of the HOC other than QP. Watching Goold(sic) right now trying to talk her way out of this mess. Still trying to hang this on Rota for inviting him and recognizing him but she is still all over the map on the vetting process. Who needs enemies when you roll with this bunch. I wonder how this is going:
https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2023/08/23/lets-find-a-way-to-work-together-liberal-house-leader-gould-looks-ahead-to-start-of-fall-sitting/395611/
Warren, you like to remind us that the PMO runs everything these days. I think Katie has her hands too full and overlooked this one. It’s on her, and therefore on Justin.
I am sick and tired of my country looking stupid 9n the world stage. Do these Parliamentarians not have staff who can do a bit of research before inviting guests to the House of Commons?
Massive blunder.
With each passing day, I say to myself: they (Trudeau Liberals) have finally hit rock bottom; it can’t get any worse and then ….
Justin didn’t show up for QP.
Martin,
And who would that be who’s shocked? No one. That guy couldn’t talk his way out of a paper bag. Typical Trudeau. He just loves to confirm from all of us that he’s a dunce.
Yet as I watch QP live on Youtube in the background not only is Rota still there (despite admitting he bares sole responsibility) but as Pierre pointed out Trudeau is in Ottawa today but is letting his Jewish descendant of Holocaust survivors Leader of the Government answer on his behalf. Pretty shameful to have to put her in that position to answer for his government’s blunder.
On Friday, during Zelenskyy’s visit, House speaker Anthony Rota referred to 98 year-old Yaroslav Hunka, who was sitting in the parliamentary gallery, as a “hero” during the Second World War. Parliament subsequently erupted into an ovation.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/adam-zivo-liberal-incompetence-a-boon-to-russia-s-anti-ukraine-propaganda/ar-AA1heP80?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=c76547ade086433a947c5d070a9c5eec&ei=88
The current situation with Russia seems to have distorted history. Did the Russians not help us defeat Hitler in WW 2?
History is hard.
After they were attacked by Hitler. Before that, they were on his side.
Hot take on QP:
Gerretsen had to make his basically daily non-apology for saying something stupid.
Goold(sic) kept saying this was on Rota.
Goold(sic) and the rest of the cult had no response to the problematic fact that everyone in the House that day should have been vetted.
Goold(sic) tried to pull the Orwellian stunt of having the recognition of the Nazi stricken from Hansard.
“Do you realize that the past, starting from yesterday, has been actually abolished? ….. Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street and building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And that process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”
Someone needs to tell the political types of all stripes that research matters, history matters, and keyboards and clicking may not give all the answers. Research and verify, and maybe research some more before taking something as a fact.
Hire some reference librarians and researchers before acting; get the information right and the details. Get credible info from all sources; print and electronic, primary and secondary. I am sure that a few calls or emails to a military archives would have given the full picture of this man’s service and assorted other info on his unit and commanders, etc..
How this man was not checked out thoroughly with a complete bio etc being presented to the Speaker’s office prior to the confirmation of the visit is really difficult to understand. No one in the tightly controlled PMO asked either? Good lord people, ask questions about everything and do not accept someone’s word on an issue.
People lie (consciously and unconsciously) and have faulty memories so checking information on a subject or person is not insulting, it is just good practice before presenting information as fact. Apparently librarians and researchers are not the ones receiving those nice consulting contracts that we read about so often.
I am so embarrassed by our government, and tired of being embarrassed by them internationally. No depth, no sense, no integrity, and apparently no ability to find things out either. I guess the facts could destroy the story as told.
I am so tired of spin and lies; the lack of credibility and integrity exhibited by many (all parties) infuriates me.
NDP calls on the speaker to resign.
https://twitter.com/kinsellawarren/status/1706396500035555409?
And if he doesn’t resign, the NDP will … ?
Can Parliamentarians vote no confidence in the Speaker? Or otherwise force him to resign?
Peter,
The House can vote no confidence in a speaker which would remove him. That’s the general principle. Not an expert. Is it by motion, order, resolution or something else?
Will Jagmeet Singh move no confidence in the Speaker?
And how will Parliamentarians vote?
When’s the next time the Opposition can introduce a motion of non-confidence on this government?
And yes, virtually guaranteed that the New Democrats will continue to prop up this corrupt and incompetent government but … I’d still love to see a non-confidence vote.
Douglas,
Opposition days are predetermined. But they can be changed at the last minute. I think the Harper government once switched an opposition day at the last minute because a non-confidence motion was coming.