Politics This Morning: Tories to call top political staffers as committee widens probe into Vance allegations

Today’s House Defence Committee is likely to be a tense one as opposition members seek to widen the investigation of sexual misconduct in the military and how the government has handled allegations brought forward against its senior-most members. The MPs have said they want more meetings as the parliamentary committee neared the end of its three-day study into sexual misconduct in the military and allegations facing now-retired chief of defence staff Jonathan Vance. The Conservatives plan to summon Zita Astravas, who was Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s chief of staff in March 2018, when former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne says he first raised an allegation against Gen. Vance to the minister. According to The Canadian Press, the Tories will also call Elder Marques, who was senior adviser to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the time. The Defence Committee is also likely to consider addressing new allegations that surfaced after it launched the study last month, this time against Mr. Vance’s successor, Admiral Art McDonald, who voluntarily stepped aside while he’s investigated for inappropriate sexual behaviour. On Sunday, Global News reported a senior naval officer who alerted Mr. Sajjan’s office to the allegation was redirected to report elsewhere. According to Global’s source, that naval officer has received threatening phone calls since coming forward. Over the weekend the acting chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre addressed the “beyond troubling” culture in Canada's military, and said aspects of Canada's military culture "need, must and will change,” per CBC News. https://twitter.com/CDS_Canada_CEMD/status/1368230493704101888 NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, meanwhile, has attacked the Liberals government for how it has handled the matter and eroded the trust of the public. Mr. Singh has called for more measures to ensure victims of sexual misconduct can safely come forward. Discussions around vaccine passports are "very live" among the G7 countries, Health Minister Patty Hajdu told CTV News, but wouldn't say if Canada is one of those leading the pack. “We'll be coming back to Canadians as we understand more about the intentions of our counterparts internationally, and as we understand more about how that will unfold around the world,” said Ms. Hajdu. There are 14 other House committees meeting today, including the Government Operations and Estimates Committee, who will hear from Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux on his report into the cost of Canada’s Surface Combatants. Canada’s Auditor General Karen Hogan, Auditor General of Canada is appearing before the Environment Committee, alongside Jerry DeMarco, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino is appearing before the Immigration Committee as it studies the main estimates, while Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault addresses the bill to amend the Broadcasting Act before the Heritage Committee. Their caucus colleague and House Speaker Anthony Rota is appearing before a Foreign Affairs and International Development subcommittee, which is set to recognize three women as international human rights champions. Over in the Senate, the Finance committee is meeting to continue its study into the supplementary estimates. To mark International Women’s Day, Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef will host the “Canada’s Feminist Response and Recovery” summit from March 8 to 9. Her NDP critic, Lindsay Mathyssen, is holding a press conference to highlight the Liberal government's “failure to protect women” in the armed forces from harassment and violence. Natural Resources Minister Seamus O'Regan, meanwhile, will celebrate the day by unveiling the Geographical Names Board of Canada's new interactive map entitled Recognizing Women with Canadian Place Names. In scheduled events, House of Commons officials will be providing an overview of the electronic voting system adopted by the House in support of hybrid proceedings. And, Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller has a planned funding announcement, while Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau will announce investments to organizations in the Eastern Townships region for projects to help ensure food security in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr. Trudeau’s itinerary includes chairing a cabinet meeting today, speaking with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, and attending Equal Voice's Virtual Seating of Daughters of the Vote in the House of Commons, where he’ll deliver remarks. The Hill Times

Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Tories to call top political staffers as committee widens probe into Vance allegations

Plus, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino and Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault are testifying before House committees today.

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Politics This Morning

Politics This Morning: Tories to call top political staffers as committee widens probe into Vance allegations

Plus, Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino and Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault are testifying before House committees today.

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