Canada's New Defence Minister

[dapaterson]

Figured I'd open a thread for the inevitable discussion that will flow once someone is named (in the next half hour or so).

 

[The Bread Guy]

Well, it looks like we know who ain't Def Min - this from the Ottawa Citizen re:  perp walk "the march of the ministers" this morning @ Rideau Hall....

.... Noticeably absent was retired Lt. Gen. Andrew Leslie, the MP for Orléans ....

 

[cavalryman]

Well, it looks like we know who ain't Def Min - this from the Ottawa Citizen re:  perp walk "the march of the ministers" this morning @ Rideau Hall....

The Citizen is touting Harjit Sajjan as MND... another good armoured officer  ;D

 

[The Bread Guy]

The Citizen is touting Harjit Sajjan as MND... another good armoured officer  ;D

More from his bio here:

Harjit Sajjan immigrated to Canada from India with his family when he was five years old. Having grown up in South Vancouver, Harjit benefitted from everything this diverse and culturally rich community had to offer. While attending local elementary and high schools, Harjit was active in many of the sporting and athletic programs.

Harjit is married to Dr. Kuljit Kaur Sajjan, a UBC-educated family doctor, and together they have two young children.

Speaking about Harjit, Brigadier-General David Fraser was quoted in a letter to then Chief Constable Jamie Graham of the Vancouver Police Department:

“He was the best single Canadian intelligence asset in theatre, and his hard work, personal bravery, and dogged determination undoubtedly saved a multitude of Coalition lives. Through his courage and dedication, (then) Major Sajjan has singlehandedly changed the face of intelligence gathering and analysis in Afghanistan.”

Harjit Sajjan has four operational deployments; one to Bosnia and three deployments to Afghanistan. He has been awarded the following honours in recognition of his service to Canada:

Order of Military Merit
Meritorious Service Medal
Southwest Asia Service Medal (Afghanistan)
General Campaign Star (Afghanistan)
Mention in Dispatch
Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal
NATO Service Medal (Bosnia)
Golden Jubilee Medal
Diamond Jubilee Medal
Canadian Forces’ Decoration
US Army Commendation Medal
Chief of Defence Staff Commendation
Deputy Minister Award (Department of National Defence)

Harjit Sajjan was a member of the Vancouver Police Department for 11 Years serving in South Vancouver and was selected as a Detective for the Gang Crime Unit. Harjit has long been advocating for education and mentorship programs that engage the youth to become more active members of society, while strengthening youth defense against the rule of gangs and drugs.

Born in a small village in India, Harjit learned the importance of the very basic human necessities at a young age. He is immensely grateful for the privilege of being a Canadian and now participates in humanitarian efforts where ever he can make a difference. He and his wife have four sponsored children and support many charities that promote health and education to impoverished children.

 

[McG]

I have to generally agree with this opinion.

Don't make a general mistake Leslie not the right man for DND
David Krayden
The Ottawa Sun

When selecting a minister of national defence, it might seem like a no-brainer to appoint a former lieutenant-general to the ranks of your caucus.

Andrew Leslie, newly elected Liberal MP from Orleans, was commander of the Canadian Army. He is also the grandson of not one but two Canadian defence ministers: military legend Gen. Andrew McNaughton and Brooke Claxton, who served under prime ministers Mackenzie King and St. Laurent. Many of Leslie's military admirers and hagiographic profilers considered him destined to be chief of defence staff .

Stephen Harper bypassed him and instead appointed Leslie to the office of something called Chief of Transformation. Maybe Harper hoped he would transform into a Conservative.

When Leslie left the military he bolted to Justin Trudeau's Liberals, no doubt betting he could achieve an even higher office in the military world through political means.

The temptation for Trudeau to appoint Leslie to defence must seem irresistible.

He should resist it.

Leslie is simply too close and too much a product of the problem he will be asked to confront as minister: the labyrinth and enigma that is the Department of National Defence.

It will take not a former inmate of the establishment but an outsider to tackle the need for change at DND.

Harper made the same error in judgment when he made Gordon O'Connor, a retired brigadier-general, his first defence minister. O'Connor, who faced one controversy after another, always appeared to be competing with those in uniform who had once outranked him. Peter MacKay, an efficacious mixture of easy ebullience and hard-fisted determination, thankfully replaced O'Conner in due time.

The new defence minister will also face some daunting and urgent issues.

Leslie may well have been too tied to the Army holistically represent both the Air Force and Navy.

Leslie is already making noise about reducing the number of managers at DND and improving the military "tooth to tail" ratio, or combat capability over administrative capacity. Every Liberal and Conservative government since the first Trudeau has pledged to give the military more teeth but somehow the tail keeps getting longer.

In 35 years of service, many of those at senior officer rank, Leslie is well acquainted with the problems at DND -too well acquainted. His management talents might be better utilized elsewhere.

-- David krayden is a former military public affairs officer and parliamentary communications officer who now writes on federal politics.

 

[Kirkhill]

“On October 19, Canadians spoke loudly and clearly, that they want a government that will bring real change – in both the things that it does, and the way that it does them,” he said.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/new-liberal-government-sworn-in-today

 

[opcougar]

How is Leslie MP for Orleans when his move that caused the furore in the media back then, wasn't Orleans centric? Just curious

Well, it looks like we know who ain't Def Min - this from the Ottawa Citizen re:  perp walk "the march of the ministers" this morning @ Rideau Hall....

 

[RocketRichard]

Good choice for M.N.D.  Bravo Zulu Sir!

 

[jollyjacktar]

Excellent news.  I remember him on my last tour in the sandbox.  Thank whatever gods there are that it wasn't AL.  He didn't even make the cut for anything.  :rofl:

 

[The Bread Guy]

Another interesting "double hatting" in the list, according to CBC.ca:

.... Kent Hehr - Veterans Affairs, and Associate Minister of National Defence ....

From his bio:

Kent J. Hehr was born and raised in Calgary. Kent’s mom worked as a school principal and his father as the president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association, making education and public service part of the fabric of everyday life. Kent took an early interest in sports, especially hockey, with an eye to a career as a phys-ed teacher. In 1989-90 he played with the Calgary Canucks and helped win the Alberta Junior Hockey League Championship. The follKent downtownowing year he attended Mount Royal College and played with the Cougars, his stick-handling getting better and better.

Then, Kent’s life changed forever. In October 1991, while riding in a friend’s car, Kent was hit by a drive-by shooter. The injury left him paralyzed. He would never walk again.

Like thousands of Canadians with life-altering spinal cord injuries, Kent’s path changed, but his pace didn’t. In fact, if anything, it quickened. While still re-learning to use his fingers, Kent studied at the University of Calgary, and received a Bachelor of Canadian Studies followed by a Bachelor of Law in 2001. In recognition of his abilities, commitment and early impact on the community, the university named Kent its Graduate of the Decade, and one of the 40 top graduates over the last 40 years.

Kent practiced law at the prestigious national firm, Fraser Milner Casgrain, and became an active community leader, working with the United Way and heading the Alberta branch of the Canadian Paraplegic Association. In 2006, he was named Top 40 Under 40 by Calgary Inc. Magazine, and in 2008 Kent was named one of the Calgary Herald’s 20 Most Compelling Calgarians to Watch. Later that year he won the race to represent Calgary-Buffalo in the Alberta Legislature, Kent-Deannaa seat he successfully defended in 2012. In 2014, he announced his intention to run in the next federal election ....

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Super happy about this!  Harjit Sajjan is a man I have tremendous respect for. 

 

[opcougar]

Full List


The full list of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new 31-member cabinet, in order of precedence, being sworn in today at Rideau Hall in Ottawa (with their province in parenthesis):
■Justin Trudeau (Quebec) - Prime Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth.
■Ralph Goodale (Saskatchewan) - Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
■Lawrence MacAulay (P.E.I.) - Agriculture and Agri-Food.
■Stéphane Dion (Quebec) - Foreign Affairs.
■John McCallum (Ontario) - Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees.
■Carolyn Bennett (Ontario) - Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
■Scott Brison (Nova Scotia) - Treasury Board President.
■Dominic Leblanc (New Brunswick) - Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
■Navdeep Bains (Ontario) - Innovation, Science and Economic Development.
■Bill Morneau (Ontario) - Finance Minister.
■Jody Wilson-Raybould (B.C.) - Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
■Judy Foote (Newfoundland and Labrador) - Public Services and Procurement.
■Chrystia Freeland (Ontario) - International Trade.
■Jane Philpott (Ontario) - Health.
■Jean-Yves Duclos (Quebec) - Families, Children and Social Development.
■Marc Garneau (Quebec) - Transport.
■Marie-Claude Bibeau (Quebec) - International Development and La francophonie.
■Jim Carr (Manitoba) - Natural Resources.
■Mélanie Joly (Quebec) - Heritage.
■Diane Lebouthillier (Quebec) - National Revenue.
■Kent Hehr (Alberta) - Veterans Affairs, and Associate Minister of National Defence.
■Catherine McKenna (Ontario) - Environment and Climate Change.
■Harjit Sajjan (B.C.) - National Defence.
■MaryAnn Mihychuck (Manitoba) - Employment Workforce Development and Labour.
■Amarjeet Sohi (Alberta) - Infrastructure and Communities.
■Maryam Monsef (Ontario) - Democratic Institutions.
■Carla Qualtrough (B.C.) - Sport, and Persons with Disabilities.
■Hunter Tootoo (Nunavut) - Fisheries and Oceans, and Canadian Coastguard.
■Kirsty Duncan (Ontario) - Science.
■Patricia Hajdu (Ontario) - Status of Women.
■Bardish Chagger (Ontario) - Small Business and Tourism.


Map shows the regional distribution of ministers in the cabinet of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (CBC)

Ref: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/full-list-of-justin-trudeau-s-cabinet-1.3300699

 

[cavalryman]

Give the liberals their due - it's not a bad front bench, all things told.  Some of the more questionable appointments a lot of us worried about seem to have been avoided.  Like many around here, I'm happy with the choice of MND.

 

[opcougar]

As an immigrant i.e. wasn't born here and a visible minority, it's nice to see someone "different" in such a position compared to the usual. Toronto has a Black police chief (first time for that), BC had a chief of Chinese decent before, and Ontario also had a Black Lt Gov General in the past who happens to have an overpass named after him in Hamilton.

At the end of the day, yes colour of skin, gender, age shouldn't be a determinant for a position, but unfortunately we live in a world where a lot of these still goes on. Is Canada ever going to have a minority PM? The US after all has Obama, Germany has Merkkel, GB had Thatcher, Philippines had Imelda Marcus, etc

Just to put a face to the new MND

 

[dangerboy]

At the end of the day, yes colour of skin, gender, age shouldn't be a determinant for a position, but unfortunately we live in a world where a lot of these still goes on. Is Canada ever going to have a minority PM? The US after all has Obama, Germany has Merkkel, GB had Thatcher, Philippines had Imelda Marcus, etc

We had Kim Campbell as Prime Minister in 1993, while she did not serve for a long term she was the PM.

 

[Blackadder1916]

. . .  Is Canada ever going to have a minority PM? The US after all has Obama, Germany has Merkkel, GB had Thatcher, Philippines had Imelda Marcus, etc

So you include women in your definition of "minority"?  Now if only that had happened in Canada.

First woman Prime Minister of Canada

 

[OldTanker]

I think Mr. (LCol) Sajjan has clearly shown his commitment to his adopted country, more so than many who were born here. I have only met him once in passing but mutual acquaintances speak very highly of him. I wish him the best of luck in his new portfolio.

 

[opcougar]

Ack. But am sure you know the emphasis of my post was NOT solely on women. How about the other stuff in my post.....care to provide feedback on say chances of a non-Canadian born / non-White / another woman becoming PM? This is not meant to be an argument, but instead honest question based on the developments in other parts of the world.

Thanks

We had Kim Campbell as Prime Minister in 1993, while she did not serve for a long term she was the PM.

 

[ModlrMike]

Ack. But am sure you know the emphasis of my post was NOT solely on women. How about the other stuff in my post.....care to provide feedback on say chances of a non-Canadian born / non-White / another woman becoming PM? This is not meant to be an argument, but instead honest question based on the developments in other parts of the world.

Thanks

As long as we remain a meritocracy, it's really more up to them rather than us. Manage the opportunity, not the outcome.

 

[McG]

Ack. But am sure you know the emphasis of my post was NOT solely on women. How about the other stuff in my post.....care to provide feedback on say chances of a non-Canadian born / non-White / another woman becoming PM? This is not meant to be an argument, but instead honest question based on the developments in other parts of the world.

Thanks

I think we are getting off topic.