(Ottawa) Tory leader Erin O’Toole took appropriate charge as General Chief of Staff in July 2015 after hearing ‘rumors’ about Jonathan Vance.
These comments follow new questions about Stephen Harper’s decision by the Conservative government to go ahead with Mr Vance’s appointment, despite two separate allegations that senior official relations are inappropriate.
One of those allegations revolves around Mr. Vance’s relationship with a U.S. military officer, Kerry Wheelen, which was investigated by military police but no allegations were made and the two are now married.
The other allegation was that the General had an illicit relationship with the Subordinate at Base Gazetown in 2001, before Mr. O’Toole addressed Mr. Vance’s appointment. Mr Harper’s former chief of staff Ray Novak told a parliamentary committee last month.
Mr Vance, who resigned as chief of staff in January and is now retired from the military, did not respond to requests from the Canadian press to comment on the allegations, but Global News reported that he had denied any wrongdoing.
Mr O’Toole, Canada’s veteran affairs minister, defended the allegations on Thursday.
“There are no allegations. I heard a rumor that I wanted to investigate … I wanted an intrusive relationship that I heard a rumor that was going to be investigated,” he said.
Mr Novak testified that he had asked then-National Security Adviser Richard Faden to investigate the matter and that the Tories were ready to cancel his appointment if the police investigation revealed that the military officer and Mr Faden had done something wrong.
The Department of Defense confirmed on Thursday that the military police did not recommend ending their investigation until July 17, 2015 – the same day Mr Vance was officially sworn in as Chief of Defense Staff at an auspicious event in Ottawa.
The investigation was officially closed four days later, Defense Ministry spokesman Daniel Le Boutilier said.
For his part, Mr. O’Toole continues to attack the manner in which Mr. Vance’s sexual misconduct complaint was handled by the Liberal government, which was raised in March 2018 by then-military ombudsman Gary Wallbourne under Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan. .
Global News reported that there was a complaint about a pornographic email allegedly sent to a corporal in 2012 before he became defense chief.
The handling of the complaint by the government is now the subject of two committee hearings.
“They have done nothing for three years. They sent a signal that they were ready to subdue this woman and review the situation,” Mr O’Toole said. “It simply came to our notice then. And it shows a culture of cover-up and corruption in the Trudeau government. ”
Conservatives want to hear from Katie Telford
The Conservatives are set to force Mr. Trudeau’s chief of staff, Katie Telford, on Friday to testify before the House of Commons’ defense committee about what she knew about the complaint after it was submitted by Mr Walbourne.
Questions have been raised as to what Katie Telford and the Prime Minister’s Office know about the situation after recent statements by a former Trudeau adviser to a committee working to shed light on sexual misconduct in the military.
Elder Marks last week omTo me Telford or an aide approached him in early March 2018 to talk to a senior aide to Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan about an issue involving Jonathan Vance.
The then military ombudsman, Gary Wallbourne, complained to Mr. Vance about his inappropriate sexual behavior with Minister Wajjan.Is Mars 2018.
Mr. Trudeau defended Mr.To me Telford and his office now know he has a complaint against the retired general, but his office does not know what it is.
Conservative MPs, including Leader Erin O’Toole, testified and previous emails that Mr. Trudeau’s office had been found guilty of sexual misconduct.
Opposition Deputy Leader of the Opposition Candice Bergen asked the House of Commons on Wednesday, saying “I do not know the nature of the complaint against Mr. Vance and that the evidence contradicts Trudeau’s allegations that he deliberately misled members of parliament.”
It is a scandal to believe that “everyone around Justin Trudeau knows about these allegations, but the Prime Minister does not know,” Conservative MPs Leona Aleslev and Pierre Paul-Huss and defense spokesman James Bezan read the US statement.
“If Justin Trudeau refuses to testify as his Chief of Staff or obstructs his appearance on the Liberals Committee, this is further proof that the Liberals are more concerned with covering and defending the Army ‘Boys Club’ than with protecting women who serve our country in uniform.”
Walborne testified that he told Mr Sajjan that he had complained of “inappropriate sexual behavior”, but Mr Marquez thought more about what he was doing in his testimony last week. And M.To me Telford was aware of the nature of the complaint.
“I believe I was told the problem was a personal mistake,” Marx told the Commons Defense Committee.
“When I heard this, I thought my umption was definitely sexual in nature, but I received this information specifically.”
Trudeau told the House of Commons on Wednesday that his government would soon announce “strong measures” to support those serving in the military.
The defense committee is scheduled to meet again on Friday.
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