Tories demand Trudeau fire defence minister over response to military misconduct

CTV National News: Vance’s guilty plea Retired general Jonathan Vance must do 80 hours of community service after admitting he obstructed justice. Annie Bergeron-Oliver reports.

Ottawa — The federal Conservatives are demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau fire Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan following what they describe as years of mismanagement and coverups.

Opposition Leader Erin O'Toole threw down the gauntlet in the House of Commons Tuesday, saying Sajjan's record as defence minister speaks for itself as he listed past controversies.

Those include Sajjan having overstated his role in Canada's largest battle in Afghanistan, the failed prosecution of former vice-admiral Mark Norman and the military's escalating sexual misconduct scandal.

O'Toole also argued the military is falling apart under Sajjan's leadership.

Sajjan, who has served as Trudeau's only defence minister since 2015, fired back that the Liberals would not take any lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to the military.

He went on to list the Liberal government's investments in the military while insisting that he has handled all allegations of sexual misconduct involving military personnel appropriately.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2021.