Politic?

Resignation Required : Reinstatement Desired

"Vice-Admiral Norman, you entered a plea of not guilty."
"You are presumed to be innocent and you remain so."
"You are free to leave."
Ontario Court Justice Heather Perkins-McVey -- April 9, 2019

"[Norman is] a highly experienced and successful officer."
"VAdm Norman has had, and will continue to have, the trust of senior military and civilian leadership."
Chief of the Defence Staff General Jon Vance/Deputy Minister Jody Thomas -- April 10, 2019

"I have compelling, sobering and frightening information."
Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
General Vance to Vice-Admiral Norman -- January 2017

Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance and Vice-Admiral Mark Norman on their way to court, separately, on Jan. 30, 2019. Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press

Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, the second-ranking officer in the Canadian Forces was accused of leaking information relating to a shipbuilding contract for the government to a lobbyist and reporter. The previous Conservative government had contracted with a Quebec-based shipyard to convert a ship for the Canadian Navy to a supply vessel, badly needed for Canada's military to fulfill its NATO obligations. When Justin Trudeau and the Liberals came to power, Trudeau set about reversing as many decisions made by Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government as he could manage.

Then-head of the Treasury Board, Scott Brison, introduced to the newly-installed Cabinet at a meeting a lobbying request from a rival shipbuilder in Nova Scotia known to be a Liberal supporter, and planned to cancel the Quebec-based contract in favour of the Nova Scotia shipbuilder, paying a penalty of $96-million in the process. When the news was leaked to the media, a great controversy embarrassing the government ensued, and the Prime Minister's Office was determined to identify who leaked that information.

It could have been any of a dozen people. The Privy Council Office itself, identified about six suspects, all privy to the same information that Vice-Admiral Norman was chosen by the PMO and obviously Trudeau himself, to pay a penalty for. That penalty was the utter destruction of his long and honourable career, and the penury that comes with trying to defend himself with mounting legal costs that the government with its deep coffers had no concerns with itself.

Stunned and declaring himself innocent of such charges, but resourceful enough to employ the services of a formidable legal team, the end result of a two-and-a-half-year effort to destroy this man ended with the Public Prosecution Service withdrawing the government's legal case against Norman. Vice-Admiral Norman, relieved of the elephant that had sat on his back for so long, thanked his legal team, his supporters and well-wishers and noted his intention to return to duty.

Justin Trudeau, whose spitefully petty sense of entitlement was wholly responsible for the agony this man suffered, spoke not a word of apology, an apology that came readily to his lips when it was directed toward Canadian Islamists found guilty of terrorism, accompanied by handsome a cheque of multiple millions in compensation for his 'ordeal' in facing justice. It took a full year for legal charges to fall on Norman after he was suspended from duty, but in the interim Trudeau had informed the news media that a trial would be forthcoming, even before charges were laid.

Now, to the issues revolving around the honourable Canadian Chief of Defence Staff General Jon Vance. When Vance called for Norman to meet with him in January 2017, briefed by the RCMP, he planned to suspend the vice-admiral despite an absence of proof, but based on vague allegations. Vance informed his second-in-command he was suspended from command, having lost confidence in Norman's ability to act in the capacity he held.

No explanation, no opportunity given him for a hearing so Norman could respond to allegations, based only on unproven claims supporting the search warrant the RCMP used to invade Norman's home and carry away all documents, files, devices in his possession with which to build a case against him. It took a year after that for a formal charge of criminal action to be lodged. The letter from Vance relating to Norman's approval forwarded to senior staff was itself leaked to news media from an insider at National Defence but no investigation was launched.

Vance refused to explain why the vice-admiral was removed, not to Norman not to the news media, not to his law team, much less what 'evidence' existed to charge him. A civil servant in fact, was charged with releasing documents on the very same issue -- whereas Norman was charged with verbally passing information. Norman's request for his legal bills to be paid by the Defence Department -- normal procedure -- was turned down with the claim he was guilty of disclosing confidential information. This, before any charges were actually laid.

At trial, a name-protected senior naval officer came forward to explain that a brigadier-general had informed him that no efforts were to be made to secure documentation and files required by Norman's defence. His name not revealed to safeguard him from retribution. His decision to come forward a reflection of his personal sense of honour in defence of a fellow member of the military unjustly accused. Neither Vance nor Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan searched their records as required and requested by Norman's defence team.

In the final analysis, the Public Prosecutors were unable to mount a case against Norman for lack of evidence. And after carefully scrutinizing the files assembled in defence of Vice-Admiral Norman by his defence team, the prosecutors concluded there was no possibility of defending the charge against the vice-admiral. As to Vice-Admiral Norman's stated desire to return to his office and resume his post as second-in-command of Canada's military, one can only wonder at the man's fortitude; that he could envision working alongside someone of the ilk of his commanding officer.

This drama is not concluded. The day following his acquittal and his statement of returning to work, Canada's Minister of Defence, Harjit Sajjan, a creature of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stated that Norman would not be granted his previous job of vice-chief of the defence staff. For a military man himself, albeit in the reserves, he betrays the ignorance of entitlement in not understanding that this is a decision not to be made by him, but by another of Trudeau's vassals, Jonathan Vance.