Freeland 'disturbed' military allowing Navy commander to stay on after golf game with Vance
Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says she was 鈥渟urprised鈥 and 鈥渄isturbed鈥 by the acting defence chief鈥檚 decision to allow Vice-Admiral Craig Baines to keep his position as head of the Royal Canadian Navy following a recent golf game with Gen. Jonathan Vance.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Freeland said she wouldn鈥檛 have felt reassured by the move if she were a woman in uniform.
鈥淢y immediate thought was, how would I feel if I were a Canadian woman in the Armed Forces and what would that decision tell me about how seriously my bosses were taking the essential work of transforming the culture of the Canadian Armed Forces,鈥 she said.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think if I were wearing a uniform today, I would be reassured by the decision.鈥
In a memo to Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members on Tuesday, Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre said he has consulted widely about the golf game between Vance, Baines, and Lt.-Gen. Michael Rouleau that took place in Ottawa in early June, and while it's clear it was done in poor judgement, he believes people 鈥渃an grow.鈥
鈥淚 have considered the complex interplay of procedural fairness, proportionality, operational impact, and moral authority. As expected, there is no clear consensus, with the exception that we can turn this into a learning opportunity,鈥 he said of Baines, adding that he understands not everyone will agree with the decision.
鈥淔or all, and especially senior leaders, there are some errors in judgment from which there is no recovery, but for other missteps or mistakes there must be. I have to believe that people can learn and grow, regardless of their generation, if we are to become better as an institution and as individuals.鈥
Rouleau, the military鈥檚 former second-in-command, announced his resignation on June 14 and is in the process of transitioning out of the CAF.
Military police launched an investigation into Vance in early February over reports of inappropriate behaviour, which he has denied. 愛污传媒 has not independently verified the allegations against him. Rouleau had, at the time, oversight authority over the police branch.
Baines has issued a public apology for his actions and Eyre said on Tuesday that the navy chief has reached out to stakeholders to gain their perspective on the path forward.
鈥淜nowing his moral authority has diminished, he is determined to regain the trust and confidence of all through humility and showing us how to learn, reconcile error, and become a better leader,鈥 he said in the statement.
Freeland added that it鈥檚 become very clear since the recent revelations of sexual misconduct allegations against several high-ranking officials that there is a 鈥渢oxic鈥 culture within the Forces.
鈥淚 think that people, and especially women want action, they want change and they deserve action and they deserve change,鈥 she said.
Responding to Freeland鈥檚 reaction, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told reporters on Wednesday that the CAF鈥檚 senior leadership has lost the trust of Canadians and those who serve.
鈥淣ot just the deputy prime minister, but many women and people I鈥檝e talked to are disappointed this further demonstrates the work that the military and the military鈥檚 leadership needs to do to regain the trust of Canadians,鈥 he said.
鈥淭here is such a deep need for real and substantive culture change.鈥
In a statement to CTVNews.ca, Conservative defence critic James Bezan criticized Freeland鈥檚 remarks as 鈥渉ypocritical鈥 because of her support for Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan鈥檚 response to the allegations.
鈥淢inister Sajjan failed to take action on sexual misconduct in the military for half a decade, pushed away evidence of sexual misconduct, and failed our women and men in uniform. If Minister Freeland truly cares about our women and men in uniform, she will join the countless Canadians calling for Minister Sajjan鈥檚 immediate resignation,鈥 he said.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
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.
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鈥檚 three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party鈥檚 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鈥檛 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
5 million adults without primary care, but surgeries returning to normal: CIHI report
A new report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information says 83 per cent of adults in this country have a regular primary-care provider, but that still leaves 5.4 million adults without one.
W5 Investigates Heists, arson and a baseball bat brawl: the violent side of clothing donation bins
In part three of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5's Jon Woodward and Joseph Loiero look into allegations that the industry is rife with organized crime activity.
BREAKING
Four people are dead following a fiery crash in downtown Toronto that happened overnight on Lake Shore Boulevard.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
Canada will cut its permanent immigration levels by at least 20 per cent
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, 愛污传媒 confirmed Wednesday.
Martha Stewart has the funniest reason for not wanting to do 'The Golden Bachelorette'
Martha Stewart may be hot in the kitchen, but she鈥檚 not looking to replicate that on a dating reality show.
Montreal's mayor is leaving politics, and she's not alone. Is it the toxic climate for women?
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate. Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.
This common gesture could be a sign of a concussion, researchers say
A quick shake of the head after a hard hit could signal that a person has a concussion, a new study suggests, based on the experiences of young athletes.
Palestinian officials say an Israeli strike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza has killed 16
An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 16 people on Thursday, Palestinian medical officials said.
Local Spotlight
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that 鈥 and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.