NEWS BRIEFS: CANADA
28 September 2023
(Reuters)
Prime Minister Trudeau apologized September 27 after a Nazi-allied war veteran was formally recognized by then House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota during last week’s visit by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Embarrassed at home and abroad, the PM also said the government had reached out diplomatically to Ukraine.
28 September 2023
(CP)
The federal government is trying to address growing concerns about generative artificial intelligence with a voluntary code of conduct for developers. Innovation, Science & Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne expects it to “build safety and trust as the technology spreads.”
27 September 2023
(Globe & Mail)
Commander Martin Pelletier, presiding over the court martial of Lieutenant-General Steven Whelan, was “annoyed” by a delay September 26 while lawyers argued for hours about the relevance of “embarrassing” emails. Whelan is alleged to have made “improper considerations” in evaluating a subordinate in 2011.
27 September 2023
(CTV)
A 98-year-old Ontario resident is at the heart of a domestic and international political outcry about his Second World War involvement in Nazi Germany’s battle with Russia. The core of the debate is whether Yaroslav Hunka was a patriot or a war criminal who could be extradited.
26 September 2023
(CBC)
Antony Rota, the Ontario Liberal MP who has served as Speaker of the House of Commons since 2019, announced today that he is resigning. All parties had sought his resignation after he had lauded a constituent during Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Parliament last week. Yaroslav Hunka, 98, had served in a Nazi division during the Second World War and while Rota apologized, that wasn’t enough.
26 September 2023
(CBC)
Polish Education Minister Przemysław Czarnek said today that he has “taken steps” to having a 98-year-old Ukrainian-Canadian extradited for trial. Yaroslav Hunka, a member of a Nazi division during the Second World War, came into the spotlight last week when he was recognized as a “hero” by House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota, his Ontario MP.
25 September 2023
(CP)
House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota apologized September 23 for honouring an Ontario man who fought in a Nazi unit during the Second World War. After human rights groups denounced his recognition of Ukrainian expatriate Yaroslav Hunka as a “hero” during Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Parliament, Rota said he was unaware of his constituent’s history.
25 September 2023
(CBC)
The court martial of Lieutenant-General Steven Whelan, who pled not guilty to a charge of “conduct to the prejudice of good order and discipline”, began today after prosecutors dropped another charge. The charges arose from allegations about an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate in June 2011 while they were in Israel where the Army officer, who has stepped aside as head of military human relations, commanded Task Force Jerusalem.
25 September 2023
(CP)
The federal government has topped up assistance for Ukraine with a $650-million deal to supply 50 armoured vehicles over three years. The announcement coincided with a commitment to send personnel to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, an updated trade deal, more funding for Ukrainian mental health programs, and extended Russian sanctions.
22 September 2023
(Ottawa Citizen)
More than six years after the 2017 Strong, Secure, Engaged policy paper disclosed plans for Canada to acquired armed drones, the Department of National Defence has confirmed plans to buy a fleet of General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers which can be fitted with Hellfire missiles at an overall cost of some $5 billion. “Should the finalization phase conclude successfully, contract award is expected within this fiscal year,” says DND spokesperson Jessica Lamirande. “We expect the first delivery in 2028.”
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