Rouleau stepping aside as defence vice-chief following golf game with Vance
The second-in-command at the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) is stepping away from his post following a golf outing with Gen. Jonathan Vance, who remains under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct.
In a resignation letter to CAF members, Lt.-Gen. Michael Rouleau said that he accepts how his decision to golf with Vance and Vice-Admiral Craig Baines, head of the Royal Canadian Navy, earlier this month contributed to “further erosion of trust†in the investigative process.
“As a result of this incident, I am stepping aside immediately as [vice-chief of the defence staff] and will transition to the CAF Transition Group. Major-General Frawley will serve as [acting vice-chief of the defence staff ] until Lieutenant-General Allen assumes command. I am acutely aware of the tumultuous times we are navigating together,†the letter reads.
Lt.-Gen. Frances Allen had been named to take over the role in March as sexual misconduct allegations levied against top military leaders continued to surface. She will be the first woman to hold the role.
Military police launched an investigation into Vance in early February following his retirement. CTV News has not independently verified the allegations against him. Shortly thereafter, his successor Admiral Art McDonald stepped aside voluntarily as an investigation was underway into his behaviour. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, the public face of Canada’s vaccine rollout since November, is also facing a sexual misconduct claim against him that dates back more than 30 years. Fortin's lawyer has said he denies wrongdoing.
Rouleau has oversight over the military police and is able to issue orders to the CAF’s top police officer, Provost Marshal Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau. Since changes made to the National Defence Act in 2013, those orders have included the ability to "issue instructions or guidelines in writing in respect of a particular investigation."
Rouleau in his letter explained that he maintains contact with a number of generals and flag officers because he is “concerned with their well-being.â€
“These officers include some who are under investigation and others who are not, but as people who have committed their lives to the service of Canada, they have earned our duty of care,†the letter reads.
“In this particular case, I was reaching out to a retired member of the CAF to ensure his wellness. This was a private activity, and I can assure every member of the CAF that none of us discussed any matters pertaining to any ongoing [military police] investigations, or the CAF/DND at large. However, I understand how such an activity could lead some to perceive a potential conflict of interest and controversy, given the current context, but nothing can be further from the truth. For this I am sorry.â€
In a statement to CTV News on Monday, Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre, acting chief of the defence staff, said the golf game was “troubling†and that he is seeking “relevant advice†to determine the path forward.
Speaking to reporters earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said she was “disappointed†upon hearing of the event and that the three men showed “very poor judgment.â€
“I absolutely understand and sympathize with the sentiment that men and women, but maybe especially women serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), have having seen this, and the concern that it causes them to have about the possibility of real fairness for them,†Freeland said, speaking to reporters on Monday.
During question period, opposition MPs scrutinized the leadership of Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.
“This brazen act by two of the military’s most senior commanders is a public declaration they are neither impartial nor think the rules apply to them. The problem starts at the top of the chain of command with this defence minister,†said Conservative MP Leona Alleslev.
Sajjan responded by noting that the government is “absolutely committed†to ensuring a swift culture change within the Forces to create a workplace free from harassment.
“I’ve been working since day one to making sure that we create institutional culture change that’s absolutely necessary,†he said, adding that the provost marshal has “complete†independence from the chain of command.
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole also pointed blame squarely at the minister.
“There is no leadership from Minister Sajjan. Not a single person I know that served in the military or is there now has respect for the minister when he’s been part of a cover-up of sexual harassment allegations for three years and so without leadership at the top, an important institution is withering before our eyes,†he said.
“As a veteran, I’m very concerned by that.â€
With files from CTV News’ Annie Bergeron-Oliver & Brooklyn Neustaeter.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½
Israel kills top Hezbollah figure in Beirut strike, Reuters sources say
Top Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Aqil was killed on Friday in an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, two security sources told Reuters.
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.
An Ontario man says it is 'unfair' to pay a $1,500 insurance surcharge because his four-year-old SUV is at a higher risk of being stolen.
DEVELOPING Here's what we know about Israel's latest strike in Beirut
Israel’s military has struck the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon’s capital, in a dramatic escalation in a year-long period of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Emergency crews in northern Ontario found the bodies of four people inside a home where a fire broke out Thursday night.
Passenger on a previous Titan sub dive says his mission was aborted due to apparent malfunction
A paid passenger on an expedition to the Titanic with the company that owned the Titan submersible testified before a U.S. Coast Guard investigatory panel Friday that the mission he took part in was aborted due to an apparent mechanical failure.
Cognitive decline reduced by MIND diet, especially for women and Black people, study finds
Following the MIND diet for 10 years produced a small but significant decrease in the risk of developing thinking, concentration and memory problems, a new study found.
The Montreal couple from Mexico and their three children facing deportation have received a temporary residence permit.
Local Spotlight
They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.
A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.
Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.
The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.
It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.
A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.
David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.
Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.