National

Telford offers to testify on Vance allegations

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 06 May, 2021 10:13 PM

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's chief of staff has offered to testify at a House of Commons committee studying allegations of sexual misconduct against Canada's former top military commander.

The Canadian Press has learned that Katie Telford has written members of the defence committee offering to testify at their meeting Friday.

Opposition parties have been demanding she appear to explain an apparent discrepancy between Trudeau's assertion that his office did not know a complaint against then-defence chief general Jonathan Vance involved sexual misconduct and other testimony and emails suggesting that it did know.

The Conservatives earlier this week moved a motion calling for Telford to be fired for not telling Trudeau that the complaint was sexual in nature. That motion was defeated.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has said he was informed about the complaint in 2018 by then-military ombudsman Gary Walbourne and immediately referred the matter to the Privy Council Office.

The Privy Council Office has said it could not pursue an investigation because it did not receive the information it needed to move forward.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Conversion therapy ban approved in principle

O'Toole allowed his MPs a free vote on the issue, part of his bargain with social conservatives that helped him secure the Conservative leadership in August.

Conversion therapy ban approved in principle

Blair pledges to address prison isolation concerns

Prisoners transferred to the units are supposed to be allowed out of their cells for four hours each day, with two of those hours engaged in "meaningful human contact."

Blair pledges to address prison isolation concerns

Andrew Scheer not voting in U.S. election

In the 2016 presidential election, there were approximately 620,000 Americans in Canada who were eligible to cast ballots, though only around 32,000 did.

Andrew Scheer not voting in U.S. election

COVID-19 deaths hit racialized communities hardest: Stats Can

The report's authors say it is more evidence that the pandemic is disproportionately affecting visible minorities, who are more likely to live in overcrowded housing and work in jobs that put them more at risk of exposure to COVID-19.

COVID-19 deaths hit racialized communities hardest: Stats Can

EI commissioners: start review of safety net now

The shortcomings in EI, flagged for years by experts, have been exposed by the pandemic, including that not every worker is covered, nor can everyone who is covered get benefits when they need them.

EI commissioners: start review of safety net now

Steep drop in right whale population raises fears

The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that as of January 2019, an estimated 366 North Atlantic right whales remained in the ocean, down from the previous count of 412 in 2018. Oceana Canada campaign director Kim Elmslie said the decline is "a reality check."