The Liberal government has quietly reversed a controversial policy that saw opposition MPs barred from most military bases, continuing a trend of opening up the Canadian Armed Forces to increased public and parliamentary scrutiny.
The base-visit policy came to light in September 2014, after several opposition MPs complained that their requests to tour military facilities outside their ridings had been rejected. Among those affected was the Liberal defence critic at the time, Joyce Murray, who had asked to visit nine bases.
Then-defence minister Rob Nicholson blamed the ban on the military, saying the Conservative government was following a directive drawn up by senior commanders. The Conservatives said the policy applied to MPs from all parties, and was designed to ensure military resources were used “effectively.”
But the opposition accused the Tories of playing political games, noting Conservative MPs were allowed to attend photo ops on bases outside their ridings. They said the ban was an obstacle to performing their roles as parliamentarians, which included understanding the military and its challenges.
The Liberal government has opened up more than bases in recent weeks. Restrictions on interviewing and photographing military personnel have been relaxed to the point where select journalists were given unprecedented access to Canadian special forces troops in Iraq last month.
This represented a sharp departure from recent practice. Under the Conservatives, access to military personnel was severely curtailed on security grounds. This included all military members, not only those involved in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said the move to make the military more accessible to the public and parliamentarians represents a marked change in tone. He said MPs are expected to understand the military given their role in holding the government to account.
Liberals lift Harper government’s controversial ban on opposition MPs’ visits to military bases | National Post
The base-visit policy came to light in September 2014, after several opposition MPs complained that their requests to tour military facilities outside their ridings had been rejected. Among those affected was the Liberal defence critic at the time, Joyce Murray, who had asked to visit nine bases.
Then-defence minister Rob Nicholson blamed the ban on the military, saying the Conservative government was following a directive drawn up by senior commanders. The Conservatives said the policy applied to MPs from all parties, and was designed to ensure military resources were used “effectively.”
But the opposition accused the Tories of playing political games, noting Conservative MPs were allowed to attend photo ops on bases outside their ridings. They said the ban was an obstacle to performing their roles as parliamentarians, which included understanding the military and its challenges.
The Liberal government has opened up more than bases in recent weeks. Restrictions on interviewing and photographing military personnel have been relaxed to the point where select journalists were given unprecedented access to Canadian special forces troops in Iraq last month.
This represented a sharp departure from recent practice. Under the Conservatives, access to military personnel was severely curtailed on security grounds. This included all military members, not only those involved in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute said the move to make the military more accessible to the public and parliamentarians represents a marked change in tone. He said MPs are expected to understand the military given their role in holding the government to account.
Liberals lift Harper government’s controversial ban on opposition MPs’ visits to military bases | National Post
