Trudeau defends Sajjan, accuses Tories of slandering embattled defence minister
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau voiced his support for Harjit Sajjan on Friday after opposition parties banded together in the House of Commons to censure the embattled defence minister.
The prime minister used part of his opening statement during his first COVID-19 update in a week to tout Sajjan's previous service as a police and military officer before accusing the Conservatives of slandering the minister.
"We know there's still much more to be done to protect all of those who choose to serve their country," Trudeau said during the virtual news conference from his home where the prime minister is in isolation after travelling to Europe.
"So it's unacceptable that Conservative politicians would choose to slander Minister Sajjan's reputation instead of working with us to keep Canadians in uniform safe."
When asked whether he would fire Sajjan, who has been Canada's only defence minister since the Liberals took power in October 2015, Trudeau replied: "He continues to have my confidence that he is the right person for the job."
The comments came less than 24 hours after the Conservatives forced a vote in the House of Commons late Thursday on a symbolic motion expressing Parliament's disappointment with Sajjan. The motion passed with support from the Bloc Quebecois and NDP.
All three parties have called separately for Sajjan's resignation.
Sajjan has been under heavy criticism since former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne revealed several months ago that he first flagged an allegation of sexual misconduct involving then-defence chief Jonathan Vance to the minister in March 2018.
Sajjan and the Liberal government have said all proper procedures were followed, and Trudeau said the minister is dedicated to leading the change that many say is necessary to address the military's various cultural shortcomings.
But the Conservatives and some experts say more should have been done with the allegation raised by Walbourne, which Global News has reported relates to a lewd email that Vance allegedly sent to a junior member in 2012, before he became defence chief.
Vance has denied any wrongdoing.
Some have also held the minister responsible for the military's failure to address the broader issue of sexual misconduct in the ranks.
The Conservative motion also criticized Sajjan for his handling of the court case involving vice-admiral Mark Norman and accused him of misleading Canadians about the Liberals' decision to withdraw fighter jets from Iraq and his own service record.
Documents obtained by the Conservatives in 2017 suggested Iraqi officials were upset with Canada's withdrawal of CF-18s from the war against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. That appeared to contradict Sajjan's assurances the decision was well received.
Sajjan was also forced to apologize that same year to Canadian veterans after claiming during a trip to India to have been the "architect" of Canada's largest battle in Afghanistan, Operation Medusa, in 2006.
Several veterans privately expressed their anger at Sajjan's claim. The minister did not say why he overstated his role in Operation Medusa, which also saw 12 Canadian soldiers killed in what remains the bloodiest operation for the Canadian Armed Forces since Korea.
The prime minister's defence of Sajjan came shortly after acting chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre presided over a change of command ceremony darkened by the military's failure to address misconduct in the ranks.
"These are challenging times for the Canadian Armed Forces, times when we face a serious (and) possibly existential threat not from without, but from within," Eyre said as Vice-Admiral Bob Auchterlonie was installed as head of the Canadian Joint Operations Command.
"We protect and promote certain values at home and around the world, but it's become ultra-clear we often failed at protecting and promoting these values within our own ranks. And this has come back on us. It has eroded our credibility with Canadians, faith in leadership, and the vital trust that must exist between every member of the Canadian Armed Forces."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2021.
IN DEPTH
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
'Democracy requires constant vigilance' Trudeau testifies at inquiry into foreign election interference in Canada
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testified Wednesday before the national public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's electoral processes, following a day of testimony from top cabinet ministers about allegations of meddling in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. Recap all the prime minister had to say.
As Poilievre sides with Smith on trans restrictions, former Conservative candidate says he's 'playing with fire'
Siding with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith on her proposed restrictions on transgender youth, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre confirmed Wednesday that he is against trans and non-binary minors using puberty blockers.
Supports for passengers, farmers, artists: 7 bills from MPs and Senators to watch in 2024
When parliamentarians return to Ottawa in a few weeks to kick off the 2024 sitting, there are a few bills from MPs and senators that will be worth keeping an eye on, from a 'gutted' proposal to offer a carbon tax break to farmers, to an initiative aimed at improving Canada's DNA data bank.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.
Local Spotlight
UBC football star turning heads in lead up to NFL draft
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.
Cat found at Pearson airport 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Molly on a mission: N.S. student collecting books about women in sport for school library
Molly Knight, a grade four student in Nova Scotia, noticed her school library did not have many books on female athletes, so she started her own book drive in hopes of changing that.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Marmot in the city: New resident of North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale a 'rock star rodent'
When Les Robertson was walking home from the gym in North Vancouver's Lower Lonsdale neighbourhood three weeks ago, he did a double take. Standing near a burrow it had dug in a vacant lot near East 1st Street and St. Georges Avenue was a yellow-bellied marmot.
Relocated seal returns to Greater Victoria after 'astonishing' 204-kilometre trek
A moulting seal who was relocated after drawing daily crowds of onlookers in Greater Victoria has made a surprise return, after what officials described as an 'astonishing' six-day journey.
Ottawa barber shop steps away from Parliament Hill marks 100 years in business
Just steps from Parliament Hill is a barber shop that for the last 100 years has catered to everyone from prime ministers to tourists.
'It was a special game': Edmonton pinball player celebrates high score and shout out from game designer
A high score on a Foo Fighters pinball machine has Edmonton player Dave Formenti on a high.
'How much time do we have?': 'Contamination' in Prairie groundwater identified
A compound used to treat sour gas that's been linked to fertility issues in cattle has been found throughout groundwater in the Prairies, according to a new study.