Defence minister instructed military to create contentious Vancouver aide role: documents

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan told the subject to make a presumption yet filled by a reserve serviceman from his aged portion who had been ordered suspended from the Vancouver constabulary for an inappropriate narration with a subordinate, according to recently released briefing notes.

Sajjan besides wanted the subject to upgrade the presumption little than 2 months aft Maj. Greg McCullough was hired due to the fact that the curate wanted adjacent much enactment successful his location riding successful Vancouver, according to the notes, though that petition did not go reality.

The briefing enactment comes amid lingering questions implicit however and wherefore McCullough ended up successful the unsocial presumption earlier his removal past period pursuing revelations astir the ailment and disciplinary enactment taken against him portion helium was a sergeant successful the Vancouver police.

McCullough was hired to enactment Sajjan successful March 2020 contempt an outer probe that recovered him blameworthy successful 2018 of 2 counts of misconduct for his narration with Const. Nicole Chan, who aboriginal took her ain beingness successful January 2019.

READ MORE: Sajjan adjunct had inappropriate relationship, suspended portion with Vancouver police

It besides follows absorption calls for Sajjan to resign implicit his handling of intersexual misconduct allegations involving elder subject commanders. Global News archetypal reported connected allegations against retired Gen. Jonathan Vance successful February — which helium denies — and since then, concerns astir an “Old Boys network” that protects the apical brass person sparked a reckoning implicit subject intersexual misconduct.

Defence experts person described the substance arsenic an organization situation for the military.

Vance was charged earlier successful July with 1 number of obstruction of justice. Military constabulary laid the complaint but handed the lawsuit implicit to the civilian court, citing the “limitations” of the subject justness system.

Sajjan’s bureau has acknowledged the curate and McCullough knew each different arsenic officers successful the British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own) and that they some served astatine the aforesaid clip with the Vancouver Police Department.

But it says the subject was liable for the process that led to McCullough’s hiring, and that neither the curate nor his unit were alert of the ailment and disciplinary enactment taken against him portion helium was a sergeant successful the Vancouver police.

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READ MORE: Officer suspended for inappropriate narration nary longer moving arsenic Sajjan’s assistant

The Department of National Defence announced past period that McCullough was nary longer moving arsenic Sajjan’s aide, though helium does stay a subordinate of the Canadian Army reserve.

Prepared for then-chief of defence unit Jonathan Vance dated May 6, 2020, the briefing enactment obtained by The Canadian Press done entree to accusation does not notation McCullough by sanction but does amusement the curate personally led the complaint for a caller adjunct successful Vancouver.

While Sajjan astatine the clip already had 4 subject assistants successful Ottawa, and the Defence Department says it has nary records of specified a presumption being created extracurricular the capital, the enactment says: “The curate determined that further full-time enactment is required portion helium is successful Vancouver.”

It goes connected to accidental an “appropriate candidate” was selected successful March 2020 and was presently moving with the minister, but that “based connected the minister’s caller direction,” Sajjan would request adjacent much enactment and frankincense the presumption should beryllium upgraded from a part-time to full-time role.

Such an upgrade would person represented a important wage summation for whoever was successful the role.

READ MORE: Sajjan censured by House of Commons implicit handling of subject intersexual misconduct

The briefing enactment recommends the presumption beryllium upgraded and filled done “an open, just and equitable” competition, though Defence Department spokesperson Daniel Le Bouthillier said the upgrade did not hap due to the fact that specified full-time positions are lone for exceptional circumstances.

Sajjan’s spokesperson Daniel Minden defended the instauration of the subject adjunct presumption successful Vancouver, saying successful an email: “In bid to debar the precocious costs of question by Ottawa-based subject unit to Vancouver, a Vancouver-based subject adjunct presumption was created.

“During the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Sajjan has spent portion of the past twelvemonth moving remotely from his riding successful Vancouver, wherever this enactment was adjacent much important.”

The pandemic is not mentioned successful the briefing note.

Le Bouthillier said the presumption remains unfilled.

“Military assistants from Ottawa are travelling to Vancouver arsenic required to transportation retired these tasks,” helium added successful an email.

“The relation is inactive required but an updated investigation of feasibility and ratio (after respective months of COVID-19 restrictions) is being done by the Canadian Armed Forces to marque a determination connected however champion to operation the subject assistant’s office.”

Reached by telephone connected Thursday, McCullough declined to comment, saying helium got successful occupation for antecedently speaking to The Canadian Press and was not authorized to talk further.

“Minister Sajjan had thing to bash with my hiring process,” helium said past month. “He required a subject adjunct connected the West Coast due to the fact that of the magnitude of clip that helium spends here, and that’s it. I didn’t talk with Minister Sajjan astir this process, and I service the Canadian Armed Forces.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has insisted Sajjan, who has served arsenic Canada’s lone defence curate since the Liberals archetypal took bureau successful precocious 2015, is the close idiosyncratic to pb the complaint erstwhile it comes to changing the military’s civilization and eradicating intersexual misconduct and hate.