Canadian opposition demands Defence Minister to be fired
The federal Conservatives are demanding Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to fire Defence Minster Harjit Sajjan as an institutional crisis related to sexual misconduct in the military continuesto roil the country.
Opposition Leader Erin O’Toole said that the military was ‘literally falling apart' under the watch of defense minister Sajjan and the most honourable thing he can do is toresign. Speaking in the Hosue of Commons on Tuesday, the Conservative Party leader said that Sajjan’s record as defense minister speaks for itself as he listed the past controversies. The opposition also described Sajjanas an ‘Incompetent minster’ who has lost the confidence of the military.
The opposition's demand comes after the controversies over sexual misconduct in the military to trouble Sajjan. Recently, major general Dany Fortin was removed in mid-May from his positionas vice-president for logistics and operations with the Public Health Agency of Canada due to an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct that occurred three decades earlier.
However, now his lawyer has filed a case alleging improper interference into the military chain of command with Sajjan, health minister Patty Hajdu and Trudeau along with senior-most bureaucratof Canada, the Clerk of the Privy council.
Also Canadian military’s second-in-command, Lt- Gen Mike Rouleau has resigned from his position after playing golf with the retired chief of the fence staff Jonathan Vance, who isunder investigation for sexual misconduct.
Meanwhile, Sajjan, Trudeau’s only defense minister since 2015, fired back at the opposition and said that the liberals would not take any lessons from conservatives when it comes tothe military.