Defence ombudsman Gregory Lick catalogued the harm done by the misconduct in the military scandal, not least the threat to national security caused by a Canadian Forces convulsed by internal preoccupations.
“Our allies are watching these events unfold in real time. Worse, those who are out to do us harm are also watching,” he said at a press conference in which he called for his office to become independent of a defence minister he accused of “erratic behaviour.”
Lick said the crisis in the military is having a negative impact on recruitment and retention and “risks threatening national security.”
His comments confirm anecdotal evidence from people familiar with the Forces, where senior staff at an operational level are fixated on the unfolding drama.
The Liberal government has failed to tamp down the wildfire in the Forces, largely because the man who is nominally responsible, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, is still in his post.
In an extraordinary press conference, Lick recorded his own vote of no confidence.
“The concept of ministerial responsibility has been absent,” he said.
“It is particularly problematic when leaders turn a blind eye to the office’s recommendations and concerns in order to advance political interests and ensure their own self-preservation. When that happens it is the members of the defence community who suffer the consequences,” he said.
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