Barfing Up The Wrong Scandal

"Expense claims for Liberal Defence Advisor Andrew Leslie's in-city move appear grossly excessive. As such, I will be asking the Department of National Defence to examine how an in-city move could possibly total over $72,000.
"In the meantime, it is important for Andrew Leslie to explain why he believes this is a reasonable expense for hard working Canadians to absorb. This is a matter of judgement and the responsible use of taxpayers dollars."
Honourable Rob Nicholson, Minister of National Defence

"Now that I have recently joined Justin Trudeau's team, the Conservatives have made me the target of a ... personal attack. Like everyone else who retires after 20 or more years of service in the Canadian Forces, when I retired I was offered by the government and accepted, a standard benefit called the Canadian Forces Integrated Relocation Program (IRP). This program has been in place for decades and has been overseen and managed by the Conservative government for the last 8 years. It does not matter what rank you are, everybody is eligible for this benefit. It supports veterans and their families with one last move to anywhere in Canada. In my case my family and I decided to buy a reduced size home in the same city as the one that I lived in at the final stage of my Army career...."
Andrew Leslie, former Army commander, Canadian Armed Forces

Sad, but Minister Nicholson has not made very honourable charges in this instance. It's hard to believe that a cabinet minister knows nothing, or care to know nothing about the earned privileges and perks available to some federal government department workers. Those who are on rotation, who are required to move constantly as a result of their job requirements are compensated by being able to call upon bargained-for special arrangements.

The Canadian Armed Forces and the Department of Foreign Affairs employees who are deployed abroad can take advantage of certain attributes in their service contract enabling them to have real estate fees, legal fees and moving fees paid for under certain circumstances. Mr. Leslie, now retired from the military and working as an adviser on the military to the Liberal Party of Canada, had sold his Rockcliffe Park residence to move into a nearby smaller residence in the same area.

The $72,000 fee to accomplish this was covered under his military employee contract. "Looking at the value of the house that we sold, it's not that much of a surprise, no it doesn't surprise me", Mr. Leslie said of the $72,000 bill, although he hadn't known what the cost had been before the public announcement just made by the Minister. And on the face of the statement, without background knowledge that sum seems staggering for a real estate move.

It is a mind-boggling amount, to be sure. On the other hand, it is perfectly legitimate. Real estate fees alone for a high-priced home for sale, come to a considerable total. If Mr. Nicholson takes exception to this kind of expenditure he should speak to Treasury Board. Such entitlements as have been written into union contracts with the government may seem excessive, and if the government feels that to be the case, it should undertake an exercise to revisit the claims process with the unions involved.

A personal attack on the integrity of a man who served his country and was a credit to the position he held, represents an ignorantly, crude partisan ad hominem smear completely uncalled for. It reflects extremely poorly on the person who has mounted the attack in the hope that innuendo and attempts at slander will gain an impression in the public view that reflects unfavourably on the victim. In this instance, Mr. Nicholson has betrayed himself as a petty, vindictive man.

Truly sad. He has done no favours to the Conservative government which he represents, nor the people who expect more of their elected Members of Parliament, favoured to sit in Cabinet presiding over a very important portfolio. Before embarking on such a public embroglio, Minister Nicholson would have done far better, if he had any questions, to put them before the public servants at Defence who might have enlightened him.