OTTAWA -- The federal government faced new calls Monday to be more transparent with Canadians about Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin鈥檚 departure, with ministers taking questions about the matter in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau鈥檚 absence.
Now, with the vaccine rollout in a pivotal moment without a logistical lead, Fortin鈥檚 replacement has been named: Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, who was initially seconded to work alongside Fortin at the Public Health Agency of Canada鈥檚 National Operations Centre in November 2020.
On Friday, the Department of National Defence announced in a brief statement that Fortin would be stepping away from his role overseeing the delivery and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine doses across the country, 鈥減ending the results of a military investigation.鈥�
As 麻豆影视 has exclusively reported, according to sources, Fortin is facing a sexual misconduct claim against him that dates back more than 30 years. Fortin, through his lawyer Cmdr. Mark Letourneau with the Defence Counsel Services, has categorically denied the allegation.
Fortin had been the public face of Canada鈥檚 vaccine rollout since November, and was joined by a team of nearly 30 members of the Canadian Armed Forces including operational planners, pharmacists, health-care administrators, engineers, and IT experts.
With Brodie now at the helm, PHAC President Iain Stewart is promising a 鈥渟eamless transition.鈥�
CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY
Little has been offered publicly at this point about who was aware and when of the allegations or investigation into Fortin. The Prime Minister鈥檚 Office has told 麻豆影视 that when appropriate the PMO is given status updates on senior personnel by the Privy Council Office, but whether that happened in this case, they would not say.
On Monday, Conservative Leader Erin O鈥橳oole issued a statement calling for more information about the investigation into Fortin, as Canadians have yet to hear from Trudeau directly on the matter.
鈥淛ustin Trudeau must be transparent with Canadians, who deserve confidence in our system, and that starts with providing information,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e still don鈥檛 know who will be taking over distributing vaccines across Canada."
Trudeau participated in an energy retrofit announcement alongside Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough and Natural Resources Minister Seamus O鈥橰egan on Monday morning, but he left the call before the question and answer portion began.
According to a staff member, the prime minister could not stay on the line to take reporters鈥� questions due to a 鈥渟cheduling conflict.鈥�
Fielding questions in Trudeau鈥檚 absence, O鈥橰egan said that the government remains 鈥渃ommitted to building a true culture of inclusion of the Canadian Armed Forces and at the Department of National Defence, so everybody's treated with dignity and respect.鈥�
Neither Qualtrough nor O鈥橰egan spoke to the investigation directly, but both dismissed concerns that Fortin鈥檚 departure would impact the national vaccination campaign. Before Brodie was named, Qualtrough said that while she could not speak to who may be filling in for Fortin, either permanently or in the interim, that the team in will continue its work.
鈥淚've been sitting on the cabinet COVID committee since the very beginning, and I can assure Canadians that it won't have any impact in terms of the operational capacity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have every confidence that Canadians will not feel any impact in terms of the vaccine rollout.鈥�
FORTIN FACING HISTORICAL ALLEGATION
Sources have told 麻豆影视 that military police received a formal complaint against Fortin in March, alleging a 鈥渉istorical sexual assault.鈥� The incident, sources say, allegedly dates back 32 years to early 1989, when Fortin was a student at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Que.
The sources, who are not authorized to speak publicly, said Fortin is under investigation for allegedly exposing himself before a woman.
The investigation stems from this allegation brought forward two months ago, sources said, but it鈥檚 unclear whether the military police approached him.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service is leading this investigation, but what steps they have taken up until now remain confidential. The allegation has not been proven in court.
In a statement, Fortin鈥檚 lawyer said he was not aware of the allegation until 麻豆影视 contacted him and that Fortin 鈥渃ompletely denies鈥� any wrongdoing. Fortin鈥檚 lawyer also said that his client was surprised to find out he was the subject of an investigation on Friday.
According to the latest , 1,376 鈥渟exual-related incidents鈥� were reported between 2016 and the end of 2019. Historic claims鈥� defined as reports filed a year or more after the alleged incidents鈥攔epresented 27.4 per cent of all reported sexual-related incidents.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan鈥檚 office told 麻豆影视 on Sunday that Sajjan was advised on Friday that Fortin had stepped aside, by the acting chief of defense staff. The PMO has told 麻豆影视 that Trudeau still has full confidence in Sajjan.
The Canadian Armed Forces has been under increased scrutiny in recent months due to misconduct allegations against several high-ranking commanders, former defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance and his successor, Admiral Art McDonald, both of whom deny any wrongdoing.
Speaking to the federal government鈥檚 handling of military sexual misconduct generally Monday, NDP MP and defence critic Randall Garrison suggested that if the federal Liberals had taken it more seriously in the years past, Canada might not have ended up in this situation.
鈥淭his is another case where the failure to act over the past six years, to take seriously the crisis of sexual misconduct has broader impacts now than just in the Canadian military,鈥� he said on CTV鈥檚 Power Play.
With files from 麻豆影视鈥� Annie Bergeron-Oliver and Kevin Gallagher.
