OTTAWA - Federal Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is accusing the Liberal government of having created an unprecedented crisis inside the Canadian military following news it is losing another second-in-command.
Lt.-Gen. Paul Wynnyk tendered his resignation as the vice-chief of the defence staff on Tuesday, which he linked to an aborted attempt to reinstate Vice-Admiral Mark Norman into the position.
Wynnyk made the connection in a surprisingly frank resignation letter he sent to defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance that was subsequently leaked to several media outlets.
Wynnyk's departure, effective Aug. 9, is the latest blow to the Canadian military, whose top ranks have been in a perpetual state of disarray since Norman was suspended as second-in-command in January 2017.
In a statement, Scheer lays the blame squarely at the government's feet, alleging its interference in Norman's breach-of-trust case has now ruined the careers of two military officers and caused chaos in the Forces.
The Liberals have denied allegations they interfered in Norman's case, in which he was accused of leaking government secrets to a Quebec shipyard before the charge was stayed in May.