[andyt]

$1:

No one gets away clean from the Andrew Leslie expense debacle

Amid the generalized sputtering that has emerged from Liberal Nation following news of retired general Andrew Leslie’s $72,000 move from one pristine Ottawa street to another just minutes away, and the furious Twitter backlash at Defence Minister Rob Nicholson for his unseemly smearing of a Canadian hero, this fact has somehow gotten obscured, which presumably was the point: That’s a disconcertingly large expense filing, especially for a move within a city.

It appears to be well beyond what the military typically pays in such circumstances, even for generals, based on reporting by the Canadian Press’s Murray Brewster. And it’s a universe away from the experience of Canadians who work in the private sector. So no one gets away clean...

Of course Canadian military veterans belong in a class of their own. Granted, Leslie’s moving costs were mainly real estate fees, he has said. But should there not reasonably be a cap, say at $35,000? To be generous? Leslie himself authored a hard-hitting and well received report in 2011 calling for “less tail, more teeth” in the military – reduced spending on administration and headquarters, and more on front-line operations. An ideal place to implement such a philosophy would have been in the administration of his own post-retirement move in 2012 – particularly if, looking ahead, he anticipated a shift into politics, which has never been more inquisitorial than it is today...

The strategy from Trudeau’s camp, and from Liberal Tweegionaires, has been to cast this story as further evidence of the Harper government’s fundamental meanness, and an attack on veterans. But here’s the thing: Even disgraced brigadier-general Dan Menard’s move to the UAE, according to CP’s Brewster, cost under $40,000. And lower-echelon military families have been involved in a protracted fight with DND over repayment of costs they incurred in their own moves, when their homes were sold in depressed markets. How could an overseas shift, logically, be less costly for taxpayers than one within Ottawa? And is there one standard for the brass and another for the ordinary soldier?

These are fair questions. They and more like them should be expected by Trudeau and his team, for this reason: They have held themselves up as reformers, who intend to play the game differently, with greater moral fibre than their opponents. It’s the very same claim Preston Manning and Reform began making in the late 1980s – yet here we are. It’s not good enough, therefore, for Leslie to say he followed all the rules (and there is no evidence at all to the contrary, that I have seen.) That’s a particularly weak argument for accepting an entitlement that most reasonable people would find overly generous, coming from a would-be crusader for accountability.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Tandt+gets+a ... z2tp3odmLA

[Curtman]

Retired general reveals how Tories tried to recruit him before launching attack over $72,000 moving expenses

$1:

Retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie revealed Friday that the Harper Conservatives tried to recruit him as a star candidate for their party before he became an adviser to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.

Leslie says the Conservatives wooed him when he retired from the military and are now retaliating because he chose to join the Liberals instead.

The CPC is bad management.

[Jabberwalker]

The Liberals have a token military guy.

It's kind of like being the only black guy that they place aon the front row for Question Period.

[Curtman]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

The Liberals have a token military guy.

It's kind of like being the only black guy that they place aon the front row for Question Period.

Ever heard of Marc Garneau? Karen McCrimmon? The formerly-known-as-Liberal Roméo Dallaire?

[Jabberwalker]

Marc Garneau did come to mind.
Don't know her.
I didn't know that Dallaire had "declared" himself to be anything.

[Curtman]

Jabberwalker Jabberwalker:

Marc Garneau did come to mind.
Don't know her.
I didn't know that Dallaire had "declared" himself to be anything.

$1:

Karen McCrimmon, OMM, CD, BA is a retired Canadian Armed Forces Lieutenant Colonel who was the first female navigator and the first woman to command a Canadian Forces air force squadron. She became involved in federal politics with the Liberal Party of Canada in 2008

$1:

Dallaire was on March 24, 2005, appointed to the Canadian Senate by Governor General Adrienne Clarkson on the advice of Prime Minister Paul Martin. He represents the province of Quebec and sat as a Liberal until January 29, 2014, when he along with all of his Liberal Senate peers were removed from the party caucus by party leader Justin Trudeau, after which he officially sat as an Independent Liberal. Dallaire noted that his family has supported both the Liberal Party of Canada and the Quebec Liberal Party since 1958. He was a strong supporter of Michael Ignatieff's unsuccessful 2006 bid for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party.

[Jabberwalker]

I was living in the riding next to the one in which Garneau tried his first unsuccessful bid to get elected(in Quebec). He did badly and was very unpopular. I remember seeing graffiti on the side of a building in Dorion in LARGE LETTERS telling him to "Suck my Rocket!" That used to be safe territory for Liberals. It was their power base and homeland. Good luck with that now. If you can't win Toronto, you won't form a government and I don't see enough distress there or enough of an issue to get a Liberal government elected in the GTA

It's your only hope, Obewan.

[Curtman]

Email trail documents Tory job overtures to retired general

$1:

The emails show Leslie was talking with senior members of Harper’s staff as early as June 2011, several months before he retired from the Canadian Forces.

The first email between Leslie and Harper’s deputy chief of staff, Derek Vanstone, revolved around a possible position heading the Canadian Museum of Civilization, according to the Star. Ultimately that position was given to another candidate, though the emails do not indicate why.

Three months later, after Leslie had left the military, he was again in talks with the government, this time about a leadership position with the RCMP. This time it was Leslie who said he was not interested, writing to Vanstone: “You need somebody who has the passion, and a natural series of friends and allies within the RCMP to help drive the tough changes that are required.”

But Leslie added that if there were no other suitable candidates, “then duty would in, as I would never say no to the PM.” He then proceeded to write that “if you are looking for help with the Canadian Forces — that is something I really have a passion for.”

More conversations followed in April and September of 2012, at which time the retired general was working for a large information and technology company called CGI Group, heading their new defence, public safety and intelligence unit in Ottawa.

The final email shows Leslie and Jenni Byrne, who headed the Conservative party’s 2011 election campaign, setting up a meeting to discuss an unknown subject.

According to the Star, a Liberal source said the Conservatives had suggested Leslie run for the party in the riding of Ottawa-Vanier or nearby Carleton-Mississippi Mills.

Most of the emails refer to offline conversations, the nature and content of which aren’t exactly known.

Leslie’s past relationship with the Harper Conservatives dominated much of the Liberal party convention in Montreal on Friday, with a game of he-said, she-said erupting after the retired general used a speech to Liberal delegates to attack the Tories. Touted as a star candidate for the party, Leslie was given half an hour to address the party faithful, during which time he used his military credentials to launch a broadsided attack on the Conservatives’ management of defence procurement and its treatment of veterans.

But most of the attention was on his response to recent Conservative attacks following revelations last week that taxpayers footed $72,000 in relocation costs and real estate fees for a move within Ottawa upon his retirement in 2012. The Conservatives have latched onto the issue to attack Leslie’s character and judgment, with Defence Minister Rob Nicholson describing the expense claims as “grossly excessive” and “a matter of judgment and the responsible use of taxpayers dollars.”

During his speech, Leslie described the relocation expense claim as part of a “standard package” offered to all military personnel with 20 years of service when they retire. He charged that the Conservative attacks weren’t actually about the relocation program; rather, “this was a partisan attack designed to discourage others like me, or like you, from joining Justin’s team because certain people are frightened by the spirit optimism and hard work.”

[andyt]

The guy was acting like a piggy. How are his expenses so much more for moving such a small distance. And can moving a few blocks in the same city really be considered moving "home"? He should have paid this himself.

That doesn't mean that it wasn't a partisan attack, and people should investigate if any ex military or rcmp that took conservative positions did the same thing.

[Freakinoldguy]

Curtman Curtman:

Retired general reveals how Tories tried to recruit him before launching attack over $72,000 moving expenses

$1:

Retired lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie revealed Friday that the Harper Conservatives tried to recruit him as a star candidate for their party before he became an adviser to Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.

Leslie says the Conservatives wooed him when he retired from the military and are now retaliating because he chose to join the Liberals instead.

The CPC is bad management.

That's one version of events, Yours and his but, just to be fair here's another.

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/02/ ... ay-around/

$1:

At the same time, Leslie said he had talked to a variety of political parties after he left the Canadian Forces, and when he decided to join Trudeau’s team, “one of the other parties didn’t take to this too well.”

Hmm if what he says it true, it looks like the guy was prostituting himself to the highest bidder and Justin needed the company more than anyone else. But, then again I don't believe anything that comes out of Leslie's mouth be it financial or political, his claims and denials are dubious at best which should make him the perfect politician.

[ShepherdsDog]

he should be a senator

[Jabberwalker]

He probably will be a Senator.

[Freakinoldguy]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

he should be a senator

If that's what he's aiming for he picked the wrong party especially considering the anointed one allegedly excommunicated all "his" Liberal Senators.

[Count_Lothian]

Both sides have the same problem.
Pointing to one and saying their the bad guys and we a more clean is stupid.

When is a leader going to step up to the plate and talk about the problem as a universal one.

Politics has become a spin doctors dream job.

If anyone thinks the ideas are coming out any leaders head their on Rob Ford's drug of choice.

I piss myself laughing when I hear theTories talking about Justin's economic knowledge, as if Harper came up with all the inept bullshit Flaherty is flogging. In fact it isn't Flaherty , it's a group of morons that were in deficit mode august of 2008 before the meltdown.
They already blew the largest surplus a Canadian government put together ever.

Well enough of that. Generals Shmenerals, at that level it becomes a body politic and the exceptions are few and far between such as this gentleman we can all be proud of.

http://www.romeodallaire.com

[Gunnair]

Freakinoldguy Freakinoldguy:

$1:

At the same time, Leslie said he had talked to a variety of political parties after he left the Canadian Forces, and when he decided to join Trudeau’s team, “one of the other parties didn’t take to this too well.”

Hmm if what he says it true, it looks like the guy was prostituting himself to the highest bidder and Justin needed the company more than anyone else. But, then again I don't believe anything that comes out of Leslie's mouth be it financial or political, his claims and denials are dubious at best which should make him the perfect politician.

The guy was a perfect politician before he even retired from the CAF.