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When Harjit Sajjan first jumped into federal politics for the Liberals in 2015 and was named defence minister, it seemed nearly impossible for the “badass” with real and successful military experience to fail in the eyes of the public.
In the days after his nomination to cabinet, a photo of Sajjan as a reservist rocking full military gear, dark sunglasses and a satisfied smirk, after the final victory in Operation Medusa in 2006 in Afghanistan, went viral on social media.
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Try refreshing your browser, or Sajjan s most difficult mission: Former badass soldier now finds himself under fire as defence minister Back to video
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It’s déjà vu all over again at the highest levels of Canada’s military: A senior leader of the Canadian Armed Forces is being investigated, causing another officer to step up in an acting capacity for who knows how long, with a domino effect on the other positions at the highest levels. Did the government learn anything from how they handled the vice-admiral Mark Norman affair? I am not so sure. After Norman was suspended from his position, the upper echelons of the armed forces were put into an untenable position. The CAF ended up having seven vice chiefs of the defence staff in about five years, in part because the government did not move forward when it was clear that Norman would be unable to serve even if he was cleared of the charges.
Author of the article: Brian Lilley
Publishing date: May 07, 2021 • 4 hours ago • 3 minute read • Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to Canada s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, appears on a screen as she attends a House of Commons defence committee meeting on sexual misconduct in the armed forces, in Ottawa, May 7, 2021. Photo by Patrick Doyle /REUTERS
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Could Katie Telford have done more on the issue of sexual misconduct in the military?
Absolutely she could have, including asking about and following up on allegations of sexual misconduct against then Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance.
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It will be sadly missed.
A little overwrought perhaps, but we are witnessing the inevitable consequence of trying to govern everything from the centre.
Katie Telford, the prime ministerâs chief of staff, appeared at the committee to give her account of who knew what and when, in the military sexual misconduct scandal.
She said the military ombudsman, Gary Walbourne, had pulled aside Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in 2018 to make him aware of an allegation of personal misconduct against then chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.
Telford said she was not aware of the nature of the complaint until it was made public by the media in February of this year.
It will be sadly missed.
A little overwrought perhaps, but we are witnessing the inevitable consequence of trying to govern everything from the centre.
Katie Telford, the prime ministerâs chief of staff, appeared at the committee to give her account of who knew what and when, in the military sexual misconduct scandal.
She said the military ombudsman, Gary Walbourne, had pulled aside Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan in 2018 to make him aware of an allegation of personal misconduct against then chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance.
Telford said she was not aware of the nature of the complaint until it was made public by the media in February of this year.