Prime Minister Stephen Harper defended his embattled Veterans Affairs Minister Julian Fantino in question period Tuesday, despite accusations from the NDP that Fantino’s office is now under “third-party management.”
Fantino is under fire following demands he resign from both the NDP and Liberals. The calls for his resignation came Monday in reaction to Fantino’s absence in the House of Commons following last week’s auditor general’s report criticizing the federal government’s treatment of veterans with mental illness.
Leading off question period Tuesday, Mulcair hammered Harper on reports that his Director of Media Relations Stephen Lecce has now been made Fantino’s interim chief of staff.
“Doesn’t it show a lack of confidence that the Prime Minister has had to impose third-party management on one of his own ministers?” said Mulcair.
Harper defended Fantino, saying he was in Italy last week attending Second World War commemoration events.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the recent appointment of former chief of defence staff Gen. Walt Natyncyzk as deputy minister of foreign affairs, adding that Natyncyzk was an “excellent choice” for the role. Natyncyzk took up his new post Nov. 3, having most recently served as president of the Canadian Space Agency.
Speaking to CTV News Channel Tuesday, Liberal foreign affairs critic Marc Garneau said Fantino does not demonstrate the “empathy,” “sympathy” and “humility” that comes with the job.
“I think perhaps that (Fantino) was the chief of police in Ontario in his previous job, and was probably seldom questioned, (and that) has given him this sense that he’s above his station.”
Garneau said the government is in damage-control mode, bringing in Lecce and Natyncyzk.
“They are clearly trying to surround the minister with what … some would consider to be more competent people because he is not capable of doing his job,” said Garneau.
Veterans organizations are also calling on Fantino to resign.
Canadian Veterans Advocacy Director Jerry Kovacs said the minister’s future depends on whether veterans still trust him.
“The question is this: has the veteran community lost trust in this minister in order to competently carry out his responsibility and to do things that the veterans need to have done? That being the case, probably he should (resign),” said Kovacs.
