Reports from the testimony of Rick Hillier and Michel Gauthier from the Canadian Press, Globe, Star, Sun, CTV, CBC and Inside Politics.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department is allegedly blocking Richard Colvin from releasing some of the documents related to the situation.
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Key part of the testimony/questioning of the generals for me:
Exactly.. this looks like the generals were playing 3 Blind Mice here.
Are you suggesting the military can't be trusted?
Nice try. Hillier and Gauthier are not the military. Colvin's reports were co-authored by military personnel on the ground.
are you suggesting that government officials can't be trusted?
Are you suggesting that the military is somehow exempt from critical analysis? You know, its beyond unfair to cast aspersions, then prevent the guy from showing relevant documentation to back up what he said. Even if *we* can't see it because it is sensitive documentation, I'm sure the committee could see it in camera. Or are they suggesting the military can be trusted, but not parliamentarians? Bernier isn't on that committee, or Raitt, are they?
I understand that one problem in providing the documents to the House Committee is the need to translate them first. I've had this experience myself when presenting to a House of Commons Committee. The Chair refused to accept any documents unless the documents were in two official languages. it's frustrating, but it's pasrt of our system of government.
Except that in this particular case, the Bloc has waived the right to both languages. From Kady's liveblog, "he also chides the Bloc for ceding the right to receive documents in both official languages:"
What I'd like to know is whether the three generals' scripts were coordinated, collated and wordsmithed within DND itself, or if there was a little help from the PMO. If produced internally, that would make Public Affairs the most impressive branch of the CF.
What makes plausible denial somewhat implausible in this case is the strong suspicion that no one of note in an overseas deployment would make a walk to the crapper without reference to and reassurance from Ottawa.