Today's letters: Tories shouldn't mislead on Nazi-linked Commons 'guest'

Friday, Sept. 29: The PMO doesn’t control the House of Commons, a reader points out, and Pierre Poilievre should stop suggesting it does. You can write to us too, at letters@ottawacitizen.com

Published Sep 29, 2023 • Last updated 4 hours ago • 2 minute read

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre speaks his mind during Question Period on Monday, Sept. 25, 2023. Photo by Justin Tang /The Canadian Press

Tories being disingenuous

Re: House rocked by Nazi “hero” gaffe, Sept. 26.

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Catherine Levesque’s reporting rightly depicts the feelings of all parliamentarians as a result of the speaker of the House of Commons praising Yaroslavl Hunka, a Nazi-linked soldier in our midst.

The feelings are real. The sorrow expressed by the speaker was felt, I am sure.

What was less real are the reactions of both the Conservative leader, Pierre Poilievre, and his predecessor, Andrew Scheer, when they accused the Liberal government of mishandling the vetting process. They surely know that the House of Commons’ independence from the Prime Minister’s Office is a cornerstone of our democratic system. The House of Commons alone was responsible for the vetting or lack thereof of this and any other of its invited guests.

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It is very sad to see a leader — indeed leaders — who feel so very comfortable in repeatedly spreading misinformation in order to score points.

Maria R. Sarot, Ottawa

Incident isn’t black-and-white

According to Oxford Languages, a blunder is a stupid or careless mistake, and a gaffe is an unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator. Both words apply to the hapless Anthony Rota and his egregious error of non-preparation before introducing Yaroslav Hunka in Parliament last Friday.

Every aspect of the subsequent fallout, once somebody had actually done some research on Hunka and the 14th Waffen-SS Division Galicia, was inevitable and utterly predictable. Optics trump the nuances of experience every time.

One thing stands out in the reporting of the standing ovation for Hunka, and that is the absence of the word “unknowingly” with regard to the enthusiastic applause and fist-pumping. Hunka was being applauded for being a Canadian-Ukrainian and an elderly survivor of war who had fought against today’s biggest threat to world stability, Russia.

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It’s worth remembering that Russia colluded with Germany in the early years of the Second World War, from 1939 to 1941. In 1943, was Hunka more pro-Germany or anti-Soviet Russia, and what exactly was his role and intention when fighting for the Galician division of the Waffen-SS?

When events and so-called scandals are viewed in black-and-white terms and exploited politically and for propaganda purposes, tragedy quickly becomes farce. While some of the features of the now globally reported blunder are farcical, it remains tragic, both for (former speaker) Anthony Rota and in the misrepresentation of the intent of all who stood to honour Hunka in Parliament last Friday.

Annette Bellamy, Ottawa

What about other Nazis?

A larger question to ask today is how many other former Nazis and military volunteers who fought with the Nazis under Hitler are currently living peacefully in Canada? Why was there no thorough vetting then?There was a clear policy of denial of entry (read the book None is too Many) to Jews seeking safety here during the Holocaust years.

The situation is shameful, yes, but it’s even more shameful that Nazis are currently peacefully living in Canada enjoying full citizenship all these years.

Judy Bernstein, Ottawa