VAdm Norman - Supply Ship contract: Legal fight

[dapaterson]

Chief of the Defence Staff announces Canadian Armed Forces General and Flag Officer senior appointments, promotions, and retirements
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2019/07/chief-of-the-defence-staff-announces-canadian-armed-forces-general-and-flag-officer-senior-appointments-promotions-and-retirements.html


Lieutenant-General P.F. Wynnyk, Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, will retire from service resulting in the following promotions and appointments:

Lieutenant-General J.M. Lanthier will be appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, replacing Lieutenant-General P.F. Wynnyk.

Lieutenant-General W.D. Eyre will be appointed Commander Canadian Army, replacing Lieutenant-General J.M. Lanthier.

Rear-Admiral H.C. Edmundson will be promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral and will be appointed Commander Military Personnel Command, replacing Lieutenant-General W.D. Eyre.

Major-General S.J.R. Whelan will be appointed Deputy Commander Military Personnel Command, replacing Rear-Admiral H.C. Edmundson.

Brigadier-General J.R.M. Gagne will be promoted to Major-General and will be appointed Chief Military Personnel Strategic Programs, replacing Major-General S.J.R. Whelan.

Colonel F.G. Carpentier will be promoted acting while so employed to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed as Commander 2 Canadian Division and Joint Task Force (East), in Montreal QC, replacing Brigadier-General M.A.J. Carignan.

 

[FSTO]

Reviving an old topic.

And in other news, the sun will rise in the east in the morning!

https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2020/07/22/information-czar-finds-numerous-shortcomings-at-national-defence-2/#.XxkN4fhKjjB

OTTAWA — Information commissioner Caroline Maynard says she uncovered "evidence of the possible commission of an offence" related to the processing of an Access to Information request related to now-retired Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.

In a report presented Wednesday to Parliament, Maynard said she passed the finding to Attorney General David Lametti in February of last year, since she does not have the authority to investigate such offences.

In turn, Lametti's office handed the file to the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, given the concern related to the possible investigation and prosecution of an offence under federal legislation.

The prosecution service said Wednesday it brought the matter to the attention of the RCMP.

"We understand that the investigation was referred by them to the Ontario Provincial Police to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest," said Nathalie Houle, a spokeswoman for the prosecution service.

In addition, also to avoid the appearance of a conflict, federal prosecutors asked the Alberta Prosecution Service to provide any required prosecution-related advice, Houle said.

Norman, a vice-admiral who served as the military's second-in-command, was charged with breach of trust in 2018 following a two-year criminal investigation into the alleged disclosure of classified government information. Fresh evidence led to the charge being stayed last year.

Serious allegations made during pre-trial hearings for Norman helped spark Maynard's decision to conduct a systemic probe of how National Defence handles Access to Information requests.

The evidence concerning a possible offence related to a request about Norman surfaced during the systemic examination, Maynard said.

She also identified several general shortcomings — from inadequate training to cumbersome paper-based processes — that hamper National Defence's ability to answer formal requests from the public.

Overall, she found Defence did not meet its obligations under the Access to Information Act because of dated or inefficient practices.

The access law allows people who pay $5 to request an array of federal files but it has been widely criticized as outdated, clumsy and often poorly administered.

Maynard says Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and his deputy minister are now aware of some of the tools and practices needed to support and deliver on their responsibilities.

She says these leaders should champion a new approach and adopt the recommended methods to make necessary changes, saying Canadians expect as much.

Maynard says her probe also shows that all federal institutions must follow sound information-management practices and make smart use of technology to meet their responsibilities under the access law.

"As the government begins to recover from the impact on operations of the pandemic, and looks to how it will work in the future, my findings should have added relevance to institutions across government."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2020.

Jim Bronskill , The Canadian Press

 

[Kirkhill]

Hot Potato or Pass the Parcel? What's your game of choice?  Seems it's getting hard to find objective reviewers  in Ottawa.

 

[FJAG]

A new article today that I can't repost here states that the RCMP who received the request to investigate the possible ATIA breaches last in March 2019 and who determined that they would be in a conflict of interest and would refer the matter to the OPP did in fact not do so until this last Sunday due to administrative errors and changes in senior staff.

Sounds like it's time for a certain commissioner to fall on her sword.

Watch and shoot!

:facepalm:

 

[FSTO]

A new article today that I can't repost here states that the RCMP who received the request to investigate the possible ATIA breaches last in March 2019 and who determined that they would be in a conflict of interest and would refer the matter to the OPP did in fact not do so until this last Sunday due to administrative errors and changes in senior staff.

Sounds like it's time for a certain commissioner to fall on her sword.

Watch and shoot!

:facepalm:

Our National Police Force seems to be more interested in covering the errors of the whole of government than working in the best interests and confidence of the public at large.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

Our National Police Force seems to be more interested in covering the errors of the whole of government than working in the best interests and confidence of the public at large.

Sad because they could be such a force of good.  Instead, they are just an organization of shills.  #provemewrong

There is a stank in the Officer Corps of the RCMP. They would do well to remember they serve the people of Canada.

 

[CBH99]

The rank and file do a great job, it's the senior leadership that is lacking.

Unfortunately, I think it's just the way senior agency leaders have to behave in the context of Ottawa politics.  Nobody seems to do what seems simple & straightforwards to the rest of us.  I imagine political pressure & unofficial influence plays a far greater role than we realize.

CDS Vance is a very common sense, straightforwards guy.  What he says to the public (and us) is what he has to say as the face of the department.  I highly doubt he's in agreement with all of the GoC and their military-related decisions.



I've wondered if perhaps some of the 'errors' and 'tartiness' on behalf of certain people involved in the VAdm Norman case wasn't quite intentional, in the hopes it would actually help his case in regards to legal technicalities. 

"Oh, did we refer to someone by a code name as to keep their real name out of documents that could be used to incriminate him?  Gee, shucks, sorry about that..." 

 

[OldSolduer]

The rank and file do a great job, it's the senior leadership that is lacking.

And I agree. The ordinary constable on patrol isn't the issue, its the senior management in Ottawa. I say "management" because from what I've seen the high ranking RCMP officers don't lead.

 

[CBH99]

And I agree. The ordinary constable on patrol isn't the issue, its the senior management in Ottawa. I say "management" because from what I've seen the high ranking RCMP officers don't lead.

Extremely true, and well said.  I should have used the work management instead of leadership, as you are 100% correct.

What surprised me most in my transition from the military to law enforcement was how - at the very top - it truly is management.  Here at the Alberta Solicitor General, the various police services that we communicate with weekly, etc.  It truly is management, not leadership.

The leadership, I've noticed anyway, seems to be from Staff Sgt & down.  From the station chiefs, to their subordinates.  Etc. 

 

[OldSolduer]

Extremely true, and well said.  I should have used the work management instead of leadership, as you are 100% correct.

What surprised me most in my transition from the military to law enforcement was how - at the very top - it truly is management.  Here at the Alberta Solicitor General, the various police services that we communicate with weekly, etc.  It truly is management, not leadership.

The leadership, I've noticed anyway, seems to be from Staff Sgt & down.  From the station chiefs, to their subordinates.  Etc.

And the same goes for the jail I work at. Leadership is the Senior Unit Officer and the Unit Manager but not in all cases. Some are in fact quite useless.

 

[McG]

This is back in court, but now it is a public servant who is charged.

National Newswatch

National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.

www.nationalnewswatch.com

 

[Underway]

I saw VAdm (Ret'd) Norman at CANSEC. Had to do a double-take as I was a little surprised to see him there.

 

[Good2Golf]

I saw VAdm (Ret'd) Norman at CANSEC. Had to do a double-take as I was a little surprised to see him there.

Same. He was looking as buoyant as always.

Other than the expected non-disclosure elements, his settlement was probably not very restrictive (appropriately).

 

[FSTO]

This is back in court, but now it is a public servant who is charged.

National Newswatch

National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.

www.nationalnewswatch.com

I predict another high cost non-disclosure agreement. JFC, this was a simple contract to provide a strategic interim capability until the JSS's came online. But our partisan idjits in the PMO just had to have a win to stick it to the previous government and once again our treasury takes a hit and proper support to the RCN is delayed again.

 

[Edward Campbell]

I predict another high cost non-disclosure agreement. JFC, this was a simple contract to provide a strategic interim capability until the JSS's came online. But our partisan idjits in the PMO just had to have a win to stick it to the previous government and once again our treasury takes a hit and proper support to the RCN is delayed again.

Looks like it's been withdrawn: Crown drops breach of trust case against bureaucrat over $700M shipbuilding deal leak | Globalnews.ca

 

[dapaterson]

Now, will the Crown make him whole for legal fees?

 

[OldSolduer]

Looks like it's been withdrawn: Crown drops breach of trust case against bureaucrat over $700M shipbuilding deal leak | Globalnews.ca

I'm not normally vindictive but I certainly hope this gentleman receives a generous payout and sticks it to this government.

 

[FSTO]

What a total waste of time, money, reputation, and trust that the government has the best interests of the nation in mind. Finally, someone with power within Crown Prosecutions got their heads out of their asses and decided the itch was not worth the scratch.

 

[Haggis]

Now, will the Crown make him whole for legal fees?

I have a relative who was improperly charged and spent a month in custody. His charges were dropped and he was released without even an apology. Equal treatment for all should be the norm.

 

[brihard]

“The Crown’s case fell apart after its prime witness, longtime lobbyist Brian Mersereau, testified that he could not remember if Matchett had provided him with a secret memo to cabinet.”

Appears to be one of those fun instances where a witness says something in the course of interviews and investigation, and then something different once they’re on the stand. It would be prudent to look at the collapse of the Norman and Matchett prosecutions as distinct from each other, with different events underlying.