By Canadian Press

PM’s chief of staff offers to testify on Vance sexual misconduct allegations

May 6, 2021 | 2:55 PM

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chief of staff has offered to testify at a House of Commons committee studying allegations of sexual misconduct against Canada’s former top military commander.

The Canadian Press has learned that Katie Telford has written members of the defence committee offering to testify at their meeting Friday.

Opposition parties have been demanding she appear to explain an apparent discrepancy between Trudeau’s assertion that his office did not know a complaint against then-defence chief general Jonathan Vance involved sexual misconduct and other testimony and emails suggesting that it did know.

The Conservatives earlier this week moved a motion calling for Telford to be fired for not telling Trudeau that the complaint was sexual in nature. That motion was defeated.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has said he was informed about the complaint in 2018 by then-military ombudsman Gary Walbourne and immediately referred the matter to the Privy Council Office.

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The Privy Council Office has said it could not pursue an investigation because it did not receive the information it needed to move forward.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2021.

The Canadian Press