Canada's New Defence Minister

[opcougar]

By "them" you mean? For some reason that doesn't come across well i.e. "them". I mean do we refer to most people's parents, grandparents great grandparents who came here years ago as "them", or are they different for some reason even though some from Eastern Europe decades later still can't speak any of the 2 official languages???

There is only so much "managing" a non-white / not Canadian immigrant can do. There is still a lot of old school preconceived xenophobia, and "just because" mentality out there. Young kids grow up now with a myriad of nationalties / cultures and learn to just see them as another buddy / friends vice the outlook that the kids parents have instilled in them by their parents i.e. "stay away from that group <insert some BS reason in here>

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

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Back on track. The thread is about the new MND.

---Staff---

 

[Colin Parkinson]

So should i start a rumour that his plan is to equip one Res Armoured Regt in each Brigade with Leopards...... :stirpot:

 

[cavalryman]

So should i start a rumour that his plan is to equip one Res Armoured Regt in each Brigade with Leopards...... :stirpot:

Do you mean the LdSH, RCD and 12eRBC are being turned into PRes units?  :stirpot: op:

 

[Inspir]

It will be interesting to see what the relationship between the new MND and the CDS will be like. I know that there was some tension between Brigadier-General (Ret'd) O'Connor and General (Ret'd) Hillier.

 

[Edward Campbell]

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

Notwithstanding his personal qualities, which, since I do not know him, I am happy to agree are many and exemplary, I fail to see how he is qualified, as a reserve LCol or as a police detective, to direct and manage one of the largest, most complex and biggest spending departments in government and one which has a regular, sad but noteworthy habit of tripping over its own dick.

There's nothing about a military career that especially suits one to be MND: Brooke Claxton, one of the better ones, was a Battery Sergeant Major in the First World War, but he was a very good defence minister because:

    1. He was a skilled and veteran politician who had the confidence of his prime minister, St Lauren; and

    2. He was immune to the blandishments of his admirals, generals and civil servants ~ perhaps because he, not they, "ran" the department, for his, not their, purposes.

I also think the Gordon O'Connor was a good MND in part because of his recent military experience. He was a retired BGen, retired from NDHQ, who knew how the "office politics" worked and he was mightily unimpressed with the CDS of the day. He got what he wanted because he knew how to work with and within cabinet and how to push and pull all the levers in NDHQ.

Minister Sajjan's résumé is pretty light on high level management, which is what a MND does.

He may be, I'm sure he is, an estimable man, but I think he's a token choice for MND and I fear that DND will not do well, in the political centre (PMO, PCO, Finance and Treasury Board) with a rookie at the helm.

 

[Kirkhill]

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

All things considered - this line up could give the Tories 8 years to consider their options.

If the LPC acts true to form and "Governs from the Right" - despite the shiny pony - this presents a good, middle of the road government with some solid credentials.

 

[Kirkhill]

Notwithstanding his personal qualities, which, since I do not know him, I am happy to agree are many and exemplary, I fail to see how he is qualified, as a reserve LCol or as a police detective, to direct and manage one of the largest, most complex and biggest spending departments in government and one which has a regular, sad but noteworthy habit of tripping over its own dick.

There's nothing about a military career that especially suits one to be MND: Brooke Claxton, one of the better ones, was a Battery Sergeant Major in the First World War, but he was a very good defence minister because:

    1. He was a skilled and veteran politician who had the confidence of his prime minister, St Lauren; and

    2. He was immune to the blandishments of his admirals, generals and civil servants ~ perhaps because he, not they, "ran" the department, for his, not their, purposes.

I also think the Gordon O'Connor was a good MND in part because of his recent military experience. He was a retired BGen, retired from NDHQ, who knew how the "office politics" worked and he was mightily unimpressed with the CDS of the day. He got what he wanted because he knew how to work with and within cabinet and how to push and pull all the levers in NDHQ.

Minister Sajjan's résumé is pretty light on high level management, which is what a MND does.

He may be, I'm sure he is, an estimable man, but I think he's a token choice for MND and I fear that DND will not do well, in the political centre (PMO, PCO, Finance and Treasury Board) with a rookie at the helm.

ER:

We have had civilians and soldiers, officers and NCMs, men and women, as MND.  I can't think of any situation where the background was a reliable predictor of performance.

I think we just have to wait for the targets to start popping up downrange, when and as.....

 

[Remius]

All things considered - this line up could give the Tories 8 years to consider their options.

If the LPC acts true to form and "Governs from the Right" - despite the shiny pony - this presents a good, middle of the road government with some solid credentials.

I agree with you on this. It looks like a very solid line up.  We'll see if it holds.

 

[OldSolduer]

I would like to think the new MND would know the ROE before he engages with his fellow Parlimentarians.

It's a different battlefield.

 

[brihard]

I would like to think the new MND would know the ROE before he engages with his fellow Parlimentarians.

It's a different battlefield.

It certainly is. I think he'll have the smarts to observe and adapt.

 

[OldSolduer]

It certainly is. I think he'll have the smarts to observe and adapt.

Plus the beard. THAT alone will stop a lot of lace knicker folks from espousing "good ideas" 

 

[CountDC]

So we have it done, we have a new minister that isn't Leslie, the question now is

Where's my pay increase?

 

[Dissident]

I am cautiously optimistic. As a reserve chauvinist, this makes me tremendously happy. Never mind that I always had a soft spot for the BCR.

 

[dapaterson]

So we have it done, we have a new minister that isn't Leslie, the question now is

Where's my pay increase?

As always, the answer will probably be "Once the public service settles theirs".

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

It certainly is. I think he'll have the smarts to observe and adapt.

Actually, Isn't the B.C.R. a reconnaissance unit? Isn't there unofficial by-line: "Improvise, adapt, overcome"? 

Personally I tend to agree that first, we should let the gentleman deal with some upcoming problem and juge him on his record then. I don't know him and have no reason to have anything against him at this point.

He hasn't got enough "management" experience ! Every minister is there to "manage" a department. And where it comes to managing a government department, private sector experience is irrelevant and ill prepares you anyway. He has been exposed to public sector management (police force and DND) for most of his life and probably knows more about that than his "private' sector colleagues, who will have a steep learning curve. If he is smart - and everything I read about him so far seems to indicate that he is - and remembers that he is there to manage the department of defence (the civil servants), not to run the military operations (job o the uniformed personnel), he should do fine.

I wish him well.

 

[jollyjacktar]

I was wondering how quickly they might settle with the PS if only to keep them sweet natured and pay back for their support.

 

[Edward Campbell]

All things considered - this line up could give the Tories 8 years to consider their options.

If the LPC acts true to form and "Governs from the Right" - despite the shiny pony - this presents a good, middle of the road government with some solid credentials.

There are a lot of rookies in there, some in very key portfolios. Rookies are prone to making mistakes ... which leads to more and more centralized management from the PMO.

I agree there are some "solid credential," there are also a few flakes, in my opinion, and a couple of tokens, too.

 

[Lumber]

I agree there are some "solid credential," there are also a few flakes, in my opinion, and a couple of tokens, too.

go on...

 

[PuckChaser]

go on...

They made someone who gave a TED talk against globalization the minister for international trade.