Australia, let’s stay united. Vote NO to the Voice of Division. pic.twitter.com/ZYkGwK5wBX

— FAIR AUSTRALIA (Powered by ADVANCE) (@FairAusADV) September 24, 2023

This is Meryl Swanson, the Federal Labor Member for Paterson.

https://web.facebook.com/MerylSwanson

Her Facebook page contains a list of AEC early voting sites for the Albanese Vanity Voice referendum.

That post with the AEC locations has a fascinating EDIT history.

If you click on the Edit History function (top right hand side of the post) you can see Meryl's original, unedited publication.

It contains the famed Labor exhortation to "Vote Early, Vote Often" - that is to make multiple, illegal votes.

I'll let you know what the AEC intends to do about it.

And thanks to Jill Jacks for the tip!

UPDATE - here's my public report to the Australian Electoral Commission.

A 98-year old was given standing ovation by the Canadian parliament during Zelensky's speech.

He was hailed as a hero for fighting against the Russians.

Yaroslav Hunk fought for the 14th division of the Waffen SS. pic.twitter.com/1J2lNywBM5

— UNN (@UnityNewsNet) September 24, 2023

OTTAWA - Several Jewish advocacy organizations condemned members of Parliament on Sunday for giving a standing ovation to a man who fought for a Nazi unit during the Second World War.

During Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's visit to Ottawa on Friday, MPs honoured 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka in the House of Commons.

Hunka was invited by Speaker Anthony Rota, who introduced him as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.

"I am very proud to say that he is from North Bay and from my riding of Nipissing--Timiskaming," the Ontario MP said as an introduction.

"He is a Ukrainian hero, a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.”

MPs cheered and Zelenskyy raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations.

The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday

(opens in a new tab)

saying the division "was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable."

"An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation," the statement said.

B'nai Brith Canada CEO Michael Mostyn said it is beyond outrageous that Parliament honoured a former member of a Nazi unit, saying Ukrainian "ultra-nationalist ideologues" who volunteered for the Galicia Division "dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing."

"We understand an apology is forthcoming. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes an apology to all Canadians for this outrage, and a detailed explanation as to how this could possibly have taken place at the centre of Canadian democracy," Mostyn said.

The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, which represents Jewish federations across the country, said it is deeply troubled by the incident.

"Canada's Jewish community stands firmly with Ukraine in its war against Russian aggression. But we can't stay silent when crimes committed by Ukrainians during the Holocaust are whitewashed," the group said in a statement published Sunday on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the Conservative party said the party was not aware of his history at the time.

"We find the reports of this individual's history very troubling," said Sebastian Skamski, adding that the Liberals would have to explain why he was invited.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office directed The Canadian Press to the office of the Speaker for comment.

Rota's office did not immediately respond to questions.

Monuments to honour the First Ukrainian Division have caused controversy in recent years.

In 2021, a statue of Ukrainian military leader Roman Shukhevych and a monument to the fighters of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division in Edmonton were vandalized by someone who spray painted them with the words "Actual Nazi."

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center said at the time that it had been advocating for their removal for decades.

In 2020, a monument to the Waffen-SS Galicia Division in Oakville, Ont., was vandalized in a similar way.

The decision to admit Ukrainian immigrants who had served in the SS Waffen Division in the post-war period was contentious, with Jewish groups arguing they should be barred from the country.

The International Military Tribunal in Nuremburg declared the SS to be a criminal organization, including the SS Waffen in that declaration.

The Waffen-SS Galicia Division surrendered to the British army in 1945, and just over 8,000 men were moved to the United Kingdom in 1947.

In 1950, the federal cabinet decided to allow Ukrainians living in the U.K. to come to Canada "notwithstanding their service in the German army provided they are otherwise admissible. These Ukrainians should be subject to special security screening, but should not be rejected on the grounds of their service in the German army."

In 1985, then-prime minister Brian Mulroney called for a royal commission to examine whether Canada had become a haven for war criminals.

The Deschenes Commission found there were about 600 former members of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division living in Canada at the time. But Justice Jules Deschenes said membership in the division did not itself constitute a war crime.

Allied Soldiers after being freed from Japanese Captivity In Singapore, 1945 (photo colourised by an artist).

Great use of their time on the public teat.

One of them Matt Cross (middle bottom row) is a little lefty liberal.

He’s been in parliament for less than 6 months.

Straight on the junkets.

'All Aboard'!!!!!!

Revolting.

UPDATE - our bilateral trade relationship with Armenia is a rounding error.

If you can gut it, read this harrowing tale of how highly paid women on TV had it so tough for so long.

These TV women know nothing of the hardships experienced by women with normal jobs as they’ve banked their mega bucks for doing stuff-all over the years.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-24/female-tv-journalists-on-the-things-that-still-need-to-change/102889646

Credit where it’s due to Susannah Carr in Perth and Ann Sanders in Sydney who just get on with the job and don’t think they are special or martyrs for any feminist cause.

And both Ann and Susannah are vastly more successful than this pack of whiners.

UPDATE - brilliant.

NB - 'HIGH-LEVEL' is so important it's got its own hyphen, and all CAPITALS!!!

The UN was created recognising that while our interests as countries may differ, we have shared purpose.

But when it has never mattered more, this institution is falling short.

We all have a stake in the UN’s success because we can only solve our biggest problems together. pic.twitter.com/Y4LMZCN6yH

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) September 23, 2023