LILLEY: Tories accuse PM and defence minister of covering up general's sexual misconduct allegations
Trudeau and Sajjan claim they were unaware of accusations against former military leader
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Mar 05, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble58 Comments
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.
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. PHOTO BY DAVE CHAN / AFP
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Justin Trudeau says he still has confidence in his defence minister and that he knew nothing of allegations of sexual misconduct against the former head of the military despite his own top officials discussing it three years ago.
The PM was pressed on the matter Friday morning as he held a news conference to discuss COVID-19 and newly approved vaccines.
“Yes, absolutely,” Trudeau said when asked if he still has faith in the judgment of Harjit Sajjan as his defence minister.
Earlier this week, the Commons defence committee heard that the former military ombudsman, Gary Walbourne, had approached Sajjan on March 1, 2018 with allegations against then chief of defence staff, General Jonathan Vance.
According to his testimony, Sajjan wouldn’t look at the material he wanted to present.
“Yes, I did directly tell him about an allegation of inappropriate behaviour against the chief of defence staff,” Walbourne said Wednesday before the committee.
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“I did tell the minister what the allegation was. I reached into my pocket to show him the evidence I was holding. He pushed back from the table and said, ‘No.’”
In interviews, and his own committee appearance, Sajjan that he knew nothing of the allegations against Vance until approached by the media. Yet a March 5, 2018 email from one of Sajjan’s top aides to Walbourne asks if the ombudsman had raised the issue with the Privy Council Office.
“I trust that you raised the allegations relating to the GIC appointment that you raised with the minister,” Zita Astravas, then Sajjan’s chief of staff, wrote to Walbourne.
GIC refers to governor-in-council appointment, of which the CDS would be the most senior one in the military and the one Walbourne had just spoken to the minister about. The Globe and Mail also reported on Thursday that Astravas had raised the issue with Elder Marques, then a senior advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Both PMO and PCO report to Trudeau and yet he claims he knew nothing about the allegations.
“I only became aware of specific allegations against General Vance through the work done by Global investigative reporters over the past weeks and months,” Trudeau said.
Those are lawyerly words, weasel words. He says only became aware of “specific allegations” through the reporting of Global News. Fine, but that makes it sound like he had heard of something and like Sajjan, didn’t want to know the details.
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Conservative MP and defence critic James Bezan is calling it all a cover-up by Trudeau and Sajjan.
“For three years, Justin Trudeau hid this information from Canadians and when asked about it, made the decision to mislead Canadians. This is clearly a cover-up,” said Mr. Bezan.
Something clearly is rotten here.
A prime minister and a government that take great pains to promote their feminist bona fides suddenly decided to duck for cover when allegations against Canada’s top soldier came forward. I have no idea if the allegations against Vance are legitimate, though he denies any wrongdoing, but regardless, there should have been some kind of investigation.
If one of the women in question did not want to come forward, if she did not want to press her case, then so be it. That does not excuse the government from literally looking the other way when told that misconduct had taken place.
If you take these issues seriously, shrugging your shoulders is not an option.
Trudeau’s promise that those serving in the military deserve to be heard and listened to and deserve an independent investigation of allegations ring hollow when we know that his minister refused to hear of allegations and his own office knew and did nothing.
Once again, Trudeau has shown he is a fake feminist and that his words don’t match his actions.
blilley@postmedia.com
torontosun.com
Trudeau and Sajjan claim they were unaware of accusations against former military leader
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:Mar 05, 2021 • 14 hours ago • 3 minute read • comment bubble58 Comments
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.
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. PHOTO BY DAVE CHAN / AFP
Article content
Justin Trudeau says he still has confidence in his defence minister and that he knew nothing of allegations of sexual misconduct against the former head of the military despite his own top officials discussing it three years ago.
The PM was pressed on the matter Friday morning as he held a news conference to discuss COVID-19 and newly approved vaccines.
“Yes, absolutely,” Trudeau said when asked if he still has faith in the judgment of Harjit Sajjan as his defence minister.
Earlier this week, the Commons defence committee heard that the former military ombudsman, Gary Walbourne, had approached Sajjan on March 1, 2018 with allegations against then chief of defence staff, General Jonathan Vance.
According to his testimony, Sajjan wouldn’t look at the material he wanted to present.
“Yes, I did directly tell him about an allegation of inappropriate behaviour against the chief of defence staff,” Walbourne said Wednesday before the committee.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
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“I did tell the minister what the allegation was. I reached into my pocket to show him the evidence I was holding. He pushed back from the table and said, ‘No.’”
In interviews, and his own committee appearance, Sajjan that he knew nothing of the allegations against Vance until approached by the media. Yet a March 5, 2018 email from one of Sajjan’s top aides to Walbourne asks if the ombudsman had raised the issue with the Privy Council Office.
“I trust that you raised the allegations relating to the GIC appointment that you raised with the minister,” Zita Astravas, then Sajjan’s chief of staff, wrote to Walbourne.
GIC refers to governor-in-council appointment, of which the CDS would be the most senior one in the military and the one Walbourne had just spoken to the minister about. The Globe and Mail also reported on Thursday that Astravas had raised the issue with Elder Marques, then a senior advisor in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Both PMO and PCO report to Trudeau and yet he claims he knew nothing about the allegations.
“I only became aware of specific allegations against General Vance through the work done by Global investigative reporters over the past weeks and months,” Trudeau said.
Those are lawyerly words, weasel words. He says only became aware of “specific allegations” through the reporting of Global News. Fine, but that makes it sound like he had heard of something and like Sajjan, didn’t want to know the details.
Advertisement
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
Vice-Admiral Art McDonald, the new head of the Navy, addresses the audience at the Royal Canadian Navy Change of Command ceremony in Halifax on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.
EDITORIAL: Who's in charge of our military?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference at Rideau Cottage, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, in Ottawa, Jan. 5, 2021.
LILLEY: Why take one government jet when three will do?
General Jonathan Vance talks to a small crowd at the French Embassy in Ottawa November 17, 2020.
Trudeau ducks questions on allegations against former defence chief Vance
Conservative MP and defence critic James Bezan is calling it all a cover-up by Trudeau and Sajjan.
“For three years, Justin Trudeau hid this information from Canadians and when asked about it, made the decision to mislead Canadians. This is clearly a cover-up,” said Mr. Bezan.
Something clearly is rotten here.
A prime minister and a government that take great pains to promote their feminist bona fides suddenly decided to duck for cover when allegations against Canada’s top soldier came forward. I have no idea if the allegations against Vance are legitimate, though he denies any wrongdoing, but regardless, there should have been some kind of investigation.
If one of the women in question did not want to come forward, if she did not want to press her case, then so be it. That does not excuse the government from literally looking the other way when told that misconduct had taken place.
If you take these issues seriously, shrugging your shoulders is not an option.
Trudeau’s promise that those serving in the military deserve to be heard and listened to and deserve an independent investigation of allegations ring hollow when we know that his minister refused to hear of allegations and his own office knew and did nothing.
Once again, Trudeau has shown he is a fake feminist and that his words don’t match his actions.
blilley@postmedia.com
LILLEY: Tories accuse PM and defence minister of covering up general's sexual misconduct allegations
Justin Trudeau still has confidence in defence minister and knew nothing of sexual misconduct allegations against former military leader.
