GOLDSTEIN: Canada's defence minister — absurdly — plays the race card
Author of the article:Lorrie Goldstein
Publishing date:Mar 13, 2021 • 46 minutes ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble7 Comments
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance listen to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2020 in Ottawa.
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance listen to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2020 in Ottawa. PHOTO BY ADRIAN WYLD /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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The Trudeau government is masterful at playing the race card in controversies where race is irrelevant.
Even so, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan deserves the Academy Award for playing the race card in his testimony before the Commons defence committee Friday.
I’m going to quote the exchange between Sajjan and NDP MP Randall Garrison below, but by brief way of explanation, Garrison is questioning Sajjan’s controversial handling of a 2018 complaint of sexual misconduct against then chief of defence staff John Vance (which Vance denies) after he was informed of it by then military ombudsman Gary Walbourne.
Walbourne testified Sajjan refused to accept any information about the complaint from the woman who came to him with it.
The opposition allege Sajjan did that because he wanted to bury the complaint.
Sajjan testified he couldn’t become involved because it would have been political interference, so he referred the matter to the Privy Council Office — the Prime Minister’s top civil servant.
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The Trudeau government says the PCO followed up with Walbourne, but because he wouldn’t provide the name of the woman, who was fearful of repercussions and didn’t want to register a formal complaint, the investigation was stymied.
All of this is in the context of years of complaints, inquiries and failed promises of reform — predating the Trudeau government — of what is obviously a broken process for the handling of sexual misconduct complaints inside the military, in which the military investigates itself, and where complainants and whistleblowers say they live in fear of reprisals if they complain.
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Minister of National Denfence Harjit Sajjan (C) and Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance (R) listen as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) speaks during a news conference January 9, 2020 in Ottawa, Canada.
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Given that, here’s the exchange between Garrison and Sajjan, reported by CBC News.
Note how Sajjan — out of nowhere — plays the race card, by complaining Garrison, who is white, has wrongly characterized his military experience.
Garrison:
“I guess I want to turn to the part of Mr. Walbourne’s testimony that you have actually confirmed today and that is that you refused to look at the evidence that he was presenting on the accusations of a serious sexual misconduct against the Chief of Defence Staff … I’ve tried for the life of me to figure out why you would not look at that. There was no investigation taking place at that time. So what could the possible reasons be? And I’m going to suggest there are two possible reasons. One is that you didn’t want to see the evidence of misconduct against General Vance because you have a long, personal and professional and career relationship with the general. The second possibility is that you did not want to see the evidence because as Major (Kellie) Brennan (another complainant) has told the media, knowledge of General Vance’s sexual misconduct allegations were widespread among senior leadership. So did you not want to see this evidence because you were afraid you knew what was there?”
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Sajjan:
“Madam Chair, let me answer this very directly. Please do not allow any other member to define my experience from my service in the Canadian Armed Forces. And I don’t like other men telling me what my experience was like. And I can assure you, and I’m sorry to get angry about this, that I would go after anybody, regardless of rank or position, if allegations were brought forward. The reason, and you said the investigation not started, I disagree. When the Ombudsman receives a complaint the process has started. For me to accept any information at that time is interference in the investigation. I’m sorry, Madam Chair, please don’t have this member to define my experience in the Canadian Armed Forces or what it was like. Because I would not do it for what happened in your life, either, OK? I’m sorry. I’ve had many people, many white men, trying to tell me what my experience is. And right now I want to talk about the women, and what better we can do for them. So please don’t do that, Mr. Garrison, to me …You said, you said, I was hiding something because of service. Please don’t do that. Because don’t define my experience in the Canadian Armed Forces. You have no idea what my life was in the Canadian Armed Forces, thank you.”
Simple question: What did Garrison’s race have to do with his question to Sajjan?
lgoldstein@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Author of the article:Lorrie Goldstein
Publishing date:Mar 13, 2021 • 46 minutes ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble7 Comments
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance listen to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2020 in Ottawa.
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance listen to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2020 in Ottawa. PHOTO BY ADRIAN WYLD /THE CANADIAN PRESS
Article content
The Trudeau government is masterful at playing the race card in controversies where race is irrelevant.
Even so, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan deserves the Academy Award for playing the race card in his testimony before the Commons defence committee Friday.
I’m going to quote the exchange between Sajjan and NDP MP Randall Garrison below, but by brief way of explanation, Garrison is questioning Sajjan’s controversial handling of a 2018 complaint of sexual misconduct against then chief of defence staff John Vance (which Vance denies) after he was informed of it by then military ombudsman Gary Walbourne.
Walbourne testified Sajjan refused to accept any information about the complaint from the woman who came to him with it.
The opposition allege Sajjan did that because he wanted to bury the complaint.
Sajjan testified he couldn’t become involved because it would have been political interference, so he referred the matter to the Privy Council Office — the Prime Minister’s top civil servant.
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The Trudeau government says the PCO followed up with Walbourne, but because he wouldn’t provide the name of the woman, who was fearful of repercussions and didn’t want to register a formal complaint, the investigation was stymied.
All of this is in the context of years of complaints, inquiries and failed promises of reform — predating the Trudeau government — of what is obviously a broken process for the handling of sexual misconduct complaints inside the military, in which the military investigates itself, and where complainants and whistleblowers say they live in fear of reprisals if they complain.
Minister of National Denfence Harjit Sajjan (C) and Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance (R) listen as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) speaks during a news conference January 9, 2020 in Ottawa, Canada.
LILLEY: Tories accuse PM and defence minister of covering up general's sexual misconduct allegations
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Vice-Admiral Art McDonald is seen during an interview with The Canadian Press in Ottawa, Dec. 11, 2019.
Sajjan says trust ‘broken’ as allegations cast spotlight on top brass
Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, wearing a protective face mask, attends a news conference, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 5, 2021.
GOLDSTEIN: Trudeau has judged us and found us wanting
Given that, here’s the exchange between Garrison and Sajjan, reported by CBC News.
Note how Sajjan — out of nowhere — plays the race card, by complaining Garrison, who is white, has wrongly characterized his military experience.
Garrison:
“I guess I want to turn to the part of Mr. Walbourne’s testimony that you have actually confirmed today and that is that you refused to look at the evidence that he was presenting on the accusations of a serious sexual misconduct against the Chief of Defence Staff … I’ve tried for the life of me to figure out why you would not look at that. There was no investigation taking place at that time. So what could the possible reasons be? And I’m going to suggest there are two possible reasons. One is that you didn’t want to see the evidence of misconduct against General Vance because you have a long, personal and professional and career relationship with the general. The second possibility is that you did not want to see the evidence because as Major (Kellie) Brennan (another complainant) has told the media, knowledge of General Vance’s sexual misconduct allegations were widespread among senior leadership. So did you not want to see this evidence because you were afraid you knew what was there?”
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Sajjan:
“Madam Chair, let me answer this very directly. Please do not allow any other member to define my experience from my service in the Canadian Armed Forces. And I don’t like other men telling me what my experience was like. And I can assure you, and I’m sorry to get angry about this, that I would go after anybody, regardless of rank or position, if allegations were brought forward. The reason, and you said the investigation not started, I disagree. When the Ombudsman receives a complaint the process has started. For me to accept any information at that time is interference in the investigation. I’m sorry, Madam Chair, please don’t have this member to define my experience in the Canadian Armed Forces or what it was like. Because I would not do it for what happened in your life, either, OK? I’m sorry. I’ve had many people, many white men, trying to tell me what my experience is. And right now I want to talk about the women, and what better we can do for them. So please don’t do that, Mr. Garrison, to me …You said, you said, I was hiding something because of service. Please don’t do that. Because don’t define my experience in the Canadian Armed Forces. You have no idea what my life was in the Canadian Armed Forces, thank you.”
Simple question: What did Garrison’s race have to do with his question to Sajjan?
lgoldstein@postmedia.com
GOLDSTEIN: Canada's defence minister — absurdly — plays the race card
The Trudeau government is masterful at playing the race card in controversies where race is irrelevant.
