OTTAWA -- The House of Commons national defence committee studying allegations of sexual misconduct against Canada’s former chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance will expand its work to review allegations against his successor and will call on top Liberal aides to testify.
In its study "addressing sexual misconduct issues in the Canadian Armed Forces," the committee will include the unspecified allegations against Admiral Art McDonald, who has stepped away from his duties, and will request the presence of Zita Astravas, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s former chief of staff, and Elder Marques, a former top adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
It comes after last week’s scathing testimony from former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne, who said he tried to address allegations of sexual misconduct against Vance on March 1, 2018 with Sajjan but was abruptly turned away.
Walbourne’s stated timeline contradicts Sajjan’s earlier remarks to media that he was stunned to hear about the allegations against Vance when the military police launched an investigation in early February, 2021, following Vance’s retirement. Â鶹´«Ã½ has not independently verified these allegations.
Sajjan has said that he disagrees with some of the testimony from last Wednesday’s meeting.
"As I have stated, I was as shocked as everyone else at the allegations that were made public last month. I can assure the committee, and all Canadians, that any allegations that were brought forward were very quickly put forward to the proper authorities, while respecting the need to protect the privacy of any individuals involved," Sajjan said in a statement.
"Any suggestion that I have done otherwise is wrong."
The Conservative-backed motion to expand the study also includes a request for the minister to once again return to the committee to clarify his position.
In Parliament on Monday, Sajjan said he "looks forward" to appearing as the Conservatives peppered him with questions about what they are alleging is a political "coverup," all the while framing it against the backdrop of International Women’s Day.
"It is appalling that on International Women’s Day, 2021, our women in uniform are afraid to speak out against sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour, all under the watch of our feminist prime minister. What happened to honour? What happened to ministerial accountability?" said Conservative MP Cathy McLeod during question period.
They’ve also asked for the deputy defence minister and members of the Privy Council Office to appear, and supported a Liberal amendment to retreat witnesses from 2015 when Vance was first named as chief of the defence staff by then-prime minister Stephen Harper. Invitations will be sent to Harper’s former chief of staff Ray Novak and former chief of staff to then-defence minister Jason Kenney, Gerrit Nieuwoudt.
"If we’re going to be looking at how to fix things, we also need to look at where things went wrong," said Liberal MP Anita Vandenbeld.
