Retired general Jonathan Vance thought he was 'untouchable,'

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MPs vote against Tories' call to fire Trudeau's chief of staff over Vance complaint
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:May 05, 2021 • 5 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, arrives at a cabinet retreat in Ottawa, Sept. 14, 2020.
Katie Telford, chief of staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, arrives at a cabinet retreat in Ottawa, Sept. 14, 2020. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS
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OTTAWA — Opposition parties rejected a call from Conservatives for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fire his chief of staff over the handling of a complaint against Canada’s former top soldier.

The Tories’ motion called for Katie Telford to lose her job after a committee heard from a former Trudeau adviser suggesting that in 2018 she knew of a complaint involving former defence chief Jonathan Vance.

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Trudeau has defended Telford by saying no one in his office knew the issue was of a “Me Too” nature.


The Conservatives contend that is not true and say if Telford failed to tell her boss about the complaint she should be dismissed.

Their motion was defeated by a vote in House of Commons of 209 to 122.

The NDP has said while it wants to hear Telford testify about what she knew of the Vance complaint, it believes it was the responsibility of Trudeau and his defence minister to take action, not an unelected staffer.


The New Democratic Party has also accused Conservatives of going after the only woman involved in the matter — something Tory deputy leader Candice Bergen called “sexist” for suggesting powerful women be held to a different standard than men in the same roles.
 

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LILLEY: Trudeau is no feminist and neither are the women enabling him
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:May 05, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 3 minute read • 19 Comments
Then Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listen to Canada's Governor General Julie Payette delivering the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Sept. 23, 2020.
Former chief of defence staff Jonathan Vance and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listen to Canada's Governor General Julie Payette delivering the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa on Sept. 23, 2020. PHOTO BY ADRIAN WYLD /Pool via REUTERS
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Justin Trudeau is not a feminist, according to Candice Bergen, deputy leader of the Conservative Party. Bergen was quizzing Trudeau Wednesday about his handling of sexual misconduct in the military when she laid into his record.

“One thing we do know is this prime minister is not a feminist. His record — when it comes to the treatment of women — is abysmal,” Bergen said during question period.

“Just ask the poor girl he groped in the Kokanees, or ask the member of Vancouver Granville, or maybe Jane Phillpott, how about Celina R. Caesar-Chavannes and Katie Telford, you’re probably next when he’s done with you. Most importantly, ask the women in our military if they think our prime minister is a feminist, it will be a resounding no.”

Bergen has been especially harsh on Trudeau over the last week, raising his alleged groping of a young reporter at a music festival years ago more than once.

She’s also helped lead the charge in calling for Telford to be fired as Trudeau’s chief of staff saying that either Trudeau is lying about not knowing about sexual misconduct allegations against his former Chief of the Defence Staff or that Telford hid the information.

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Trudeau’s response to Bergen’s attack was dismissive.

“To be a feminist one has to recognize that there is an inequality between men and women and agree that we need to do a lot more work,” Trudeau said.

He went on to say that his government is investing in child care and women entrepreneurs. That’s all well and good, but he didn’t act when it counted, he turned a blind eye and worse.


As the Conservatives have been pointing out for months now: Trudeau was made aware of allegations against Gen. Jonathan Vance in 2018 but did nothing. Trudeau has claimed that he didn’t know the specifics, but we now know his staff did.

From committee testimony and emails released to the public, we have learned that Telford knew there was a claim of sexual harassment, that the then clerk of the privy council knew, that Trudeau’s top political advisor knew, and that his defence minister knew of the allegation and the nature of it.

If Trudeau didn’t know it’s because he didn’t want to know, or they didn’t want him to know — neither option is good for the government.

Despite running what they claim is a feminist government, none of his staff raised this issue when questions of giving Vance a raise and extending his term came before them. You would think that someone should have said, “Boss, this is a bad idea, and here is why.”

No one told Trudeau, not if we take the PM at his word.

So Trudeau praised Vance when he announced his retirement and said that Vance had served the country with “distinction.”

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“He has also led significant progressive reforms in our armed forces, including through Operation Honour, which aims to eliminate sexual misconduct in the Canadian military,” Trudeau said in July 2020.

Operation Honour was the response to the 2015 report into sexual misconduct in the military, which was supposed to stop what we are now discussing from happening. I have no idea whether Vance broke the rules, broke the law, or is guilty of anything at all — and we don’t know because there was no investigation.

There was no investigation because Trudeau and his self-styled feminist government turned a blind eye, just like they did for Trudeau we found out about his past alleged gropes.

The people of Canada, especially the women of Canada, deserve better than Trudeau, but too many women, like Telford, are enabling him and his track record.
 

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PM's chief of staff offers to testify on Vance sexual misconduct allegations
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Joan Bryden
Publishing date:May 06, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 3 minute read • Join the conversation
Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, arrives at a cabinet retreat in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada September 14, 2020.
Katie Telford, Chief of Staff to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, arrives at a cabinet retreat in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada September 14, 2020. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS
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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff has offered to testify at a House of Commons committee investigating allegations of sexual misconduct against Canada’s former top military commander.

Katie Telford wrote members of the defence committee Thursday, offering to testify at their meeting Friday.


Opposition parties have been demanding she appear to explain an apparent discrepancy between Trudeau’s assertion that his office did not know a complaint against general Jonathan Vance involved sexual misconduct and other testimony and emails suggesting that it did know.

Telford has been in the hot seat since Elder Marques, a former senior adviser in the Prime Minister’s Office, testified two weeks ago.

Marques said he was informed in 2018 by Telford or her assistant that there had been an allegation of “personal misconduct” against Vance, then chief of the defence staff. He said he assumed it was sexual in nature.

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Marques said he immediately referred the matter to the clerk of the Privy Council, advised Telford that he had done so and then “kept her apprised as matters developed.”

The allegation had first been raised a day earlier with Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan by the military ombudsman at the time, Gary Walbourne. Former clerk Michael Wernick has testified that his office attempted to investigate the allegation but that Walbourne was not able to provide any information because the complainant did not want to be named.

The allegation involved an off-colour email that Vance allegedly sent a junior officer in 2012, before he became defence chief.

Military police are now investigating that complaint as well as another allegation that Vance had a sexual relationship with another officer under his command.

Vance has not responded to requests for comment, but Global News, which first reported the allegations, says that he has denied any inappropriate conduct.

Since Marques’ testimony, the Conservatives have been accusing Trudeau of lying about not knowing the allegation was sexual in nature. Alternatively, they say Telford covered it up.

Earlier this week, the Conservatives moved a motion calling for Telford to be fired. That motion was defeated.

Trudeau has maintained that no one in his office knew that the allegation was “a Me Too complaint.”

“We did not have information on what was the nature of the complaint, of that allegation,” he said last week.

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Telford is expected to say much the same during her testimony Friday.

However, emails released under the Access to Information Act have shown that bureaucrats at the time were referring to the allegation as “sexual harassment.”

Privy Council bureaucrat Janine Sherman has testified that some of those emails were shared with staff in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Walbourne has testified that he told Sajjan what the allegation was about but that Sajjan stopped him when he tried to show him the evidence.

Sajjan has said he wasn’t told the details and that he didn’t want to know in order to avoid any perception of political interference in the matter. He’s said he referred the issue immediately to the Privy Council Office.

Trudeau maintains he only learned the details when Global first reported them in February.

Shortly after that report, Vance’s replacement as chief of the defence staff, Admiral Art McDonald, stepped aside due to an unspecified allegation of misconduct. He, too, is now under military police investigation.

Vance stepped down as defence chief in January. He officially retired from the military last month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2021.
 
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bob the dog

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Did not know the nature of the complaint and did not tell the PM. Sticking to the story.
 

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Trudeau aide Katie Telford questions if she could've done more on military misconduct
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Stephanie Taylor
Publishing date:May 07, 2021 • 22 hours ago • 3 minute read • 89 Comments
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.
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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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff says she wonders whether she could have done more to fight sexual misconduct in Canada’s armed forces, but refused to say how her boss was kept in the dark about an allegation against the former top solider.

Katie Telford testified for nearly two hours at a parliamentary defence committee on Friday that she didn’t learn the content of a complaint against Canada’s ex-defence chief until it was reported publicly.


Opposition Conservatives have been pushing to find out what exactly she knew of the situation in 2018. They allegeit’s impossible she or Trudeau didn’t know the allegation against general Jonathan Vance was a sexual one, and they argue the Liberal government failed to act on the matter, calling into question its feminist credentials.

Telford testified then-Trudeau aide Elder Marques told her at the time it was a “personal misconduct” complaint, and it was directed to the appropriate channel of the Privy Council Office, where it eventually stalled when details weren’t provided.

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“We were clearly told that this matter should be handled by (the Privy Council Office) and that it would have been inappropriate for political staff or politicians to be directly involved. The last thing I wanted to do was to do deny agency to the complainant,” she told the committee.

“I didn’t know the nature of the complaint. I did not know the substance of the complaint. I did not know the details of the complaint ⦠I didn’t know where the complaint came from.”

But she said after Global News revealed earlier this year it involvedan allegationof sexual misconduct, she has replayed past conversations in her head with female soldiers and asked herself what more she could’ve done to create a safe space.

She said she wonders if she could’ve pushed harder to ensure the implementation of a 2015 report by former Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps that recommended an independent reporting system for sexual misconduct in the military.

Telford also said she has asked herself if she should’ve further questioned Vance when he told her about his commitment to the “Me Too” movement and how frustrated he was that orders were not enough to bring about change.


“Above all, though, I have thought about the brave women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces who face unthinkable and unacceptable harassment and misconduct in the line of duty,” she said.

It’s clear that more work needs to be done, and that’s why the government has announced a new review led by former Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour aimed at creating external oversight, she said.

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Telford’s testimony came after the Tories pushed for Trudeau — who had denied personally knowing of any allegations — to fire her had she not informed him about the complaint. The move wasn’t supported by any other opposition parties when it was put to a vote in the House of Commons earlier this week.

The Tories have pointed to emails exchanged by others around the issue that refer to sexual harassment, and called into doubt statements from Trudeau that he and others in his office didn’t know the nature of the complaint.

“Because we didn’t know what it was, there was a possibility that it could be that, that it could be a sexual allegation, and so that’s why we were taking it so seriously at the beginning,” Telford told MPs.

She also testified that she asked at the time whether safety was an issue and was assured it was not.

“If you didn’t think this was a sexual misconduct complaint, what kind of a complaint did you think it was?” asked the NDP’s defence critic Randall Garrison.


Conservative defence critic James Bezan and other MPs repeatedly pressed Telford on whether she purposely kept Trudeau in the dark about the allegation, and who decided not to tell him. She didn’t directly answer.

The allegation involved an off-colour email that Vance allegedly sent a junior officer in 2012, before he became defence chief.

Military police are now investigating that complaint as well as another allegation that Vance had a sexual relationship with another officer under his command.

Vance has not responded to requests for comment from The Canadian Press, but Global News says that he has denied any inappropriate conduct.
 
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LILLEY: PM's chief of staff clueless on Vance sexual misconduct probe?
Author of the article:Brian Lilley
Publishing date:May 07, 2021 • 20 hours ago • 3 minute read • 158 Comments
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.
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.


Telford appeared before the Commons defence committee on Friday, answering questions about what she knew and why she didn’t act when allegations were brought forward. And too say she was evasive would be an understatement.

The Prime Minister’s chief of staff stuck to her talking points that didn’t address the issue of why she never told Justin Trudeau about the allegations.

“I didn’t know the nature of the complaint. I did not know the substance of the complaint. I did not know the details of the complaint,” Telford said, repeating her talking points over and over again.

“All we knew was that the ombudsperson at the end of the meeting pulled the minister aside and suggested he had a complaint and an envelope as I understand it,” she said. “I don’t know what else could have been done.”

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walks to a news conference in the Parliamentary precinct on a rainy day in Ottawa, Friday, April 30, 2021.
LILLEY: Trudeau's coverup of Vance allegations matches his own coverup
Former chief of defence staff Jonathan Vance and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listen to Canada's Governor General Julie Payette delivering the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa on Sept. 23, 2020.
LILLEY: Trudeau is no feminist and neither are the women enabling him
Then Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau listen to Canada's Governor General Julie Payette delivering the throne speech in the Senate chamber in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on Sept. 23, 2020.
LILLEY: Trudeau's blind eye on military sexual misconduct

She could have asked a question or two, she could have pushed to make sure there was a proper investigation, but she never did.

As for the ombudsperson telling Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan about an allegation, we’ve already heard from him. Two months ago, the same committee heard from Gary Walbourne who described the meeting with Sajjan.

“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,’” Walbourne said.

So the ombudsperson tells the minister, the minister tells his chief of staff, that chief of staff calls Telford, who tells another staffer to look into it, that staffer discusses it with the top levels of the civil service but nothing gets done. And somehow Telford claims she didn’t know the nature of the allegation.

According to emails and other testimony before the committee, everyone knew it was a sexual type allegation against Vance. Here’s what Michael Wernick, the former Clerk of the Privy Council, the top bureaucrat in the government, told the committee in March.

“I don’t have the language of the emails in front of me. I think the language was ‘potential sexual harassment.’ There is a back-and-forth of emails between Zita, Janine and Elder. I certainly would say that it was in the realm of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment, but I couldn’t speak to the exact language,” Wernick said.

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Yet Telford wants you to think she had no clue.


She knew what kind of an allegation it was, maybe not the exact details, but she knew what it was. Telford admitted to the committee that she asked if there were safety concerns involved but she wants us to believe she wasn’t curious enough to ask any other questions.

It’s not believable.

The Conservatives asked time and again who decided not to tell the PM and she wouldn’t give a straight answer.

“The simple fact is that if there was nothing to hide, then Katie Telford would have answered the question,” Conservative Defence Critic James Bezan said after the committee.

I can believe that Telford didn’t tell Trudeau about the allegation, protecting her boss is part of her job. Yet at some point she should have.

Telford admitted that she didn’t raise the issue with Trudeau even when presenting him with papers to sign granting Vance a large bonus. Wouldn’t that be a good time to lean across the table and say, “Boss, there is something you should know.”

Telford didn’t do that and in failing to do so, failed to do her job, failed the women of the military and failed all Canadians.

She will get to keep her job though, and so will Harjit Sajjan, because in the Trudeau government nobody is responsible for anything.

blilley@postmedia.com
 
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Retired judge calls for overhaul of military's handling of sexual misconduct cases
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jun 01, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Military health-care personnel prepare for patients at a mobile health unit at Sunnybrook Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Tuesday, April 27, 2021.
Military health-care personnel prepare for patients at a mobile health unit at Sunnybrook Hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. PHOTO BY NATHAN DENETTE /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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A retired Supreme Court justice is calling for significant changes to how the Canadian Armed Forces deals with allegations of sexual misconduct following a months-long review of Canada’ military justice system.

In an at-times scathing report tabled in the House of Commons this morning, Morris Fish says his review confirmed that the nature, extent and human cost of sexual misconduct in the military remains as rampant and destructive as in 2015.


That was when fellow retired Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps released her own explosive report that revealed a highly sexualized culture within the military that was hostile to women and victims of inappropriate and criminal sexual behaviour.

Among the changes that Fish recommends is the creation of new infractions in the military justice system specifically for sexual and hateful misconduct, and more independence and oversight for the civilian-run sexual misconduct response centre.

Fish, whose review was mandated by law and is separate from a study currently being conducted by retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour, also says the military should eliminate the requirement that victims report incidents to the chain of command.

And he says sexual assaults in particular should not be investigated or prosecuted by military authorities until a victim’s bill of rights, which received Royal Assent in 2019, is finally implemented.
 

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Former defence chief Jonathan Vance charged with obstruction of justice
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jul 15, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
General Jonathan Vance talks to a small crowd at the French Embassy in Ottawa, Nov. 17, 2020.
General Jonathan Vance talks to a small crowd at the French Embassy in Ottawa, Nov. 17, 2020. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /Postmedia Network
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OTTAWA — Retired general Jonathan Vance, former chief of the defence staff, has been charged with obstruction of justice related to an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

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The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service says the criminal charge will be pursued in civilian court, given the details of the case and the limits of the military justice system.


A recent report by retired Supreme Court justice Morris Fish recommended overhauling the military justice system, which works in parallel with the civilian system and applies only to Canadian Armed Forces members.

Global News first reported allegations in February that Vance had a relationship with a subordinate that began in 2001 and continued after he accepted the top job in 2015.


Vance has also been accused of sending a lewd email to a junior member in 2012.

Vance, who stepped down in January, has declined requests for comment from The Canadian Press, but Global has reported he denies any wrongdoing.
 

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Former defence chief Jonathan Vance charged with obstruction of justice
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jul 15, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
General Jonathan Vance talks to a small crowd at the French Embassy in Ottawa, Nov. 17, 2020.
General Jonathan Vance talks to a small crowd at the French Embassy in Ottawa, Nov. 17, 2020. PHOTO BY JEAN LEVAC /Postmedia Network
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OTTAWA — Retired general Jonathan Vance, former chief of the defence staff, has been charged with obstruction of justice related to an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

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The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service says the criminal charge will be pursued in civilian court, given the details of the case and the limits of the military justice system.


A recent report by retired Supreme Court justice Morris Fish recommended overhauling the military justice system, which works in parallel with the civilian system and applies only to Canadian Armed Forces members.

Global News first reported allegations in February that Vance had a relationship with a subordinate that began in 2001 and continued after he accepted the top job in 2015.


Vance has also been accused of sending a lewd email to a junior member in 2012.

Vance, who stepped down in January, has declined requests for comment from The Canadian Press, but Global has reported he denies any wrongdoing.
Is it becoming the way of a segment of the military? Self entitlement!
 

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Dany Fortin says ‘career appears to be over’ after misconduct investigation revealed
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jul 22, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 4 minute read • 17 Comments
Vice President of Logistics and Operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada Major General Dany Fortin attends a news conference, in Ottawa, Dec. 7, 2020.
Vice President of Logistics and Operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada Major General Dany Fortin attends a news conference, in Ottawa, Dec. 7, 2020. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS / FILES
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OTTAWA — The military officer who previously oversaw Canada’s vaccine rollout campaign says his reputation has been “irreparably tarnished” by the government’s decision to abruptly replace him in May and publicly reveal he was being investigated for sexual misconduct.

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Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin’s assertion is contained in an affidavit sworn last week but only publicly revealed on Thursday as part of his legal battle to reverse his dismissal from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which he alleges was improper and politically motivated.


Fortin was removed from the vaccine rollout on May 14, just five days before the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service referred a sexual misconduct investigation to the Quebec prosecution service to determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

Through his lawyers, Fortin has denied any wrongdoing.

Fortin’s lawyers filed an application last month with the Federal Court seeking an expedited judicial review of the decision to fire him from his posting at PHAC, and asking for the decision be quashed and for his reinstatement at the agency or another position.

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In the affidavit sworn on July 13, Fortin says the impact of the decision to remove him and reveal the misconduct investigation “on my reputation and career has been devastating.”

Fortin says he received an exemplary performance review only three days before he was removed from the vaccine campaign, and was “at the peak of my career,” with expectations of a promotion or other opportunity upon finishing his job with PHAC.

Due to the decision to remove him, however, “I have no assignment, although I remain a member of the CAF. As far as I know, I am not being considered for any positions and I appear to have been bypassed for promotion. Currently, my career appears to be over.”

Fortin also took issue with the government’s decision to reveal the investigation into his conduct.

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“The reputation I have built up over the course of three decades of service to my country has been irreparably tarnished by the decision to announce publicly an investigation into my alleged conduct,” the affidavit reads, “exacerbated by the fact that the announcement lacked the context that the investigation relates to a single allegation of misconduct dating back over 30 years.”

Fortin’s lawyer Natalia Rodriguez said the affidavit has been sworn and served to Attorney General David Lametti, but will not be filed in court until September.

“We are providing it to you ahead of schedule in the interests of openness and transparency,” she said in an email. “We understand there is significant public interest in this case and we want to provide the public with as much information as we can with respect to the issues raised in this application.”

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Asked to comment Thursday, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s spokesman Daniel Minden said: “As this is an ongoing legal matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”

Fortin’s lawyers have argued the decision to remove their client was unreasonable, lacked procedural fairness and involved improper political interference in the military chain of command by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Sajjan.

None of the allegations has been tested in court.


They have also argued the announcement of his termination breached his right to keep his personal information private and fuelled public speculation without the appropriate context, causing irreparable harm to his reputation.

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Fortin in his affidavit repeats many of the assertions made by his lawyers in last month’s application for judicial review.

He says he first heard about an unspecified allegation of sexual misconduct against him on March 17, when acting chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre informed him that military police had launched an investigation.

Later the same day, after informing the Privy Council Office about the investigation, Eyre told Fortin he would “advocate for due process, the presumption of innocence” and for allowing Fortin to continue working on the vaccine rollout.

PHAC president Iain Stewart said much the same, according to the affidavit. But while Fortin’s posting was “OK for now,” Stewart also warned him Hajdu and Trudeau “may change their minds later” and that he should prepare himself “for the moment when they determine that you need to be let go.”

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“Keep your bags packed,” the affidavit cites Stewart as telling Fortin.

On April 19, Fortin says he received a call from a military police investigator who told him he was being investigated for one instance of sexual misconduct, alleged to have occurred more than 30 years ago.

On May 13, Fortin says Eyre told him that Hajdu and Sajjan “wanted to remove me” from the vaccine rollout. Eyre did not say what had prompted the decision other than to tell Fortin that “the ‘political calculus’ had changed and that the PCO had said I would have to be removed,” the affidavit says.

The following day, Fortin says Eyre presented him with a written statement regarding his departure “pending the results of a military investigation.” The statement was “not negotiable” other than giving Fortin the option of saying he had chosen to leave his assignment with PHAC.

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The statement was released later that day while Sajjan released a separate statement which he prefaced by reiterating the government’s commitment to building a “culture of inclusion” in the military that “sheds toxic and outdated values, practices and policies.”

“I was not aware that the minister of national defence would be making additional public statements regarding the investigation,” Fortin says in the affidavit, adding Sajjan’s statements “hinted at the nature of the investigation.”

“I was not asked whether I consented to these public statements being made,” he added.

Five days after Fortin departed, the military police issued a statement saying an allegation of sexual misconduct was being referred to Quebec’s director of criminal prosecutions. Fortin says he only learned about that development through the media.
 

bob the dog

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How ever Patty Hajdu became famous is beyond me. The name sounding indigenous is my best bet.

Reality is she is a Finlander from Thunder Bay. She ran a homeless shelter before becoming elected and now she is Minister of Health.

Wonder if she gives back to the shelter?
 
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taxslave

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Dany Fortin says ‘career appears to be over’ after misconduct investigation revealed
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Jul 22, 2021 • 8 hours ago • 4 minute read • 17 Comments
Vice President of Logistics and Operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada Major General Dany Fortin attends a news conference, in Ottawa, Dec. 7, 2020.
Vice President of Logistics and Operations at the Public Health Agency of Canada Major General Dany Fortin attends a news conference, in Ottawa, Dec. 7, 2020. PHOTO BY BLAIR GABLE /REUTERS / FILES
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OTTAWA — The military officer who previously oversaw Canada’s vaccine rollout campaign says his reputation has been “irreparably tarnished” by the government’s decision to abruptly replace him in May and publicly reveal he was being investigated for sexual misconduct.

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Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin’s assertion is contained in an affidavit sworn last week but only publicly revealed on Thursday as part of his legal battle to reverse his dismissal from the Public Health Agency of Canada, which he alleges was improper and politically motivated.


Fortin was removed from the vaccine rollout on May 14, just five days before the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service referred a sexual misconduct investigation to the Quebec prosecution service to determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

Through his lawyers, Fortin has denied any wrongdoing.

Fortin’s lawyers filed an application last month with the Federal Court seeking an expedited judicial review of the decision to fire him from his posting at PHAC, and asking for the decision be quashed and for his reinstatement at the agency or another position.

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In the affidavit sworn on July 13, Fortin says the impact of the decision to remove him and reveal the misconduct investigation “on my reputation and career has been devastating.”

Fortin says he received an exemplary performance review only three days before he was removed from the vaccine campaign, and was “at the peak of my career,” with expectations of a promotion or other opportunity upon finishing his job with PHAC.

Due to the decision to remove him, however, “I have no assignment, although I remain a member of the CAF. As far as I know, I am not being considered for any positions and I appear to have been bypassed for promotion. Currently, my career appears to be over.”

Fortin also took issue with the government’s decision to reveal the investigation into his conduct.

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“The reputation I have built up over the course of three decades of service to my country has been irreparably tarnished by the decision to announce publicly an investigation into my alleged conduct,” the affidavit reads, “exacerbated by the fact that the announcement lacked the context that the investigation relates to a single allegation of misconduct dating back over 30 years.”

Fortin’s lawyer Natalia Rodriguez said the affidavit has been sworn and served to Attorney General David Lametti, but will not be filed in court until September.

“We are providing it to you ahead of schedule in the interests of openness and transparency,” she said in an email. “We understand there is significant public interest in this case and we want to provide the public with as much information as we can with respect to the issues raised in this application.”

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Asked to comment Thursday, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s spokesman Daniel Minden said: “As this is an ongoing legal matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment at this time.”

Fortin’s lawyers have argued the decision to remove their client was unreasonable, lacked procedural fairness and involved improper political interference in the military chain of command by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Sajjan.

None of the allegations has been tested in court.


They have also argued the announcement of his termination breached his right to keep his personal information private and fuelled public speculation without the appropriate context, causing irreparable harm to his reputation.

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Fortin in his affidavit repeats many of the assertions made by his lawyers in last month’s application for judicial review.

He says he first heard about an unspecified allegation of sexual misconduct against him on March 17, when acting chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre informed him that military police had launched an investigation.

Later the same day, after informing the Privy Council Office about the investigation, Eyre told Fortin he would “advocate for due process, the presumption of innocence” and for allowing Fortin to continue working on the vaccine rollout.

PHAC president Iain Stewart said much the same, according to the affidavit. But while Fortin’s posting was “OK for now,” Stewart also warned him Hajdu and Trudeau “may change their minds later” and that he should prepare himself “for the moment when they determine that you need to be let go.”

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“Keep your bags packed,” the affidavit cites Stewart as telling Fortin.

On April 19, Fortin says he received a call from a military police investigator who told him he was being investigated for one instance of sexual misconduct, alleged to have occurred more than 30 years ago.

On May 13, Fortin says Eyre told him that Hajdu and Sajjan “wanted to remove me” from the vaccine rollout. Eyre did not say what had prompted the decision other than to tell Fortin that “the ‘political calculus’ had changed and that the PCO had said I would have to be removed,” the affidavit says.

The following day, Fortin says Eyre presented him with a written statement regarding his departure “pending the results of a military investigation.” The statement was “not negotiable” other than giving Fortin the option of saying he had chosen to leave his assignment with PHAC.

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The statement was released later that day while Sajjan released a separate statement which he prefaced by reiterating the government’s commitment to building a “culture of inclusion” in the military that “sheds toxic and outdated values, practices and policies.”

“I was not aware that the minister of national defence would be making additional public statements regarding the investigation,” Fortin says in the affidavit, adding Sajjan’s statements “hinted at the nature of the investigation.”

“I was not asked whether I consented to these public statements being made,” he added.

Five days after Fortin departed, the military police issued a statement saying an allegation of sexual misconduct was being referred to Quebec’s director of criminal prosecutions. Fortin says he only learned about that development through the media.
What happens when you don't renew your libtard membership.
 
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spaminator

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No charges against top military officer McDonald after misconduct investigation
Author of the article:Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Publishing date:Aug 06, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 1 minute read • Join the conversation
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Vice-Admiral Art McDonald is seen during an interview with The Canadian Press in Ottawa, Dec. 11, 2019.
Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy Vice-Admiral Art McDonald is seen during an interview with The Canadian Press in Ottawa, Dec. 11, 2019. PHOTO BY ADRIAN WYLD /THE CANADIAN PRESS / FILES
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OTTAWA — A six-month investigation into the conduct of Canada’s top military officer Admiral Art McDonald has ended without any charges.

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Provost Marshal Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau announced the development in a statement this evening.

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Trudeau says military police identified and interviewed a large number of potential witnesses, which led investigators to conclude there was not enough evidence to support the laying of charges.

McDonald announced in February that he was voluntarily stepping aside as commander of the Canadian Armed Forces only five weeks into the job due to an investigation into his conduct.

The nature of the allegation against him was not publicly confirmed, but CBC reported at the time that it related to an allegation of sexual misconduct dating back to his time commanding a Canadian warship in 2010.

McDonald had taken over as defence chief from Jonathan Vance, who was charged last month with one count of obstruction of justice following a separate military police investigation into allegations that he had engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour.
 
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bob the dog

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Free pass and a golden pension. Sorry to have caused you any embarrassment. Enjoy your golden years.