Opposition MPs such as Liberal Scott Simms and the NDP’s Jack Harris had accepted invitations from the military to take part in flying exercises so they could gain a better understanding of defence matters, such as search-and-rescue operations.
But MacKay used details of their visits, provided by the military, to later attack Harris and Simms in the House of Commons. The two MPs had criticized MacKay after reports emerged alleging that his office summoned a search-and-rescue helicopter to transport MacKay from his vacation, and that he had racked up millions of dollars of flights on government executive jets.
MacKay countered that NDP and Liberal MPs also flew on military aircraft.
But both Harris and Simms say they took part in daylong search-and-rescue training missions, far different than MacKay’s use of a military helicopter during his vacation.
Harris said he will continue to accept invitations to observe military personnel doing their jobs. But he warned the Canadian Forces that they could find some opposition MPs thinking twice about accepting such invitations if they are going to find such activities used against them in the Commons.
“The military is kind of shooting themselves in the foot and discouraging people from using this type of program,” Harris said. “They’re poisoning it with political chicanery.”
Simms says he doesn’t blame the military personnel who were ordered to turn over details to MacKay’s office about his five-hour visit with a search-and-rescue unit in his riding. But he does question the efforts of the military officer in MacKay’s office who spearheaded the effort. “The fact that this military officer is using military resources to back up Peter MacKay is incredibly disturbing,” Simms added.
The incident recently came to light after news reports confirmed air force officers quietly gathered information on Simms after he criticized the decision by MacKay’s office to order up a search-and-rescue helicopter to retrieve the minister from a private fishing lodge. That flight cost taxpayers $16,000, according to reports.
Such activities prompted allegations that Canadian Forces personnel were “digging up dirt” on the minister’s political enemies. Former officers have argued those actions cross the line and jeopardize the long-standing political neutrality of the military.
But the Canadian Forces has defended its decision to use officers to collect information on MacKay’s political opponents, saying the process is no different than its efforts to gather facts for the public and news media.
MacKay’s spokesman Jay Paxton noted that many parliamentarians, journalists and business people have flown on military aircraft, adding that “is often overlooked in reports relating to this incident.”
“A ministerial office should engage the department in order to provide facts and context to an issue of public interest and citing examples of military flights by opposition members of Parliament, such as Scott Simms and Jack Harris, is relevant to a debate about the use of military assets by parliamentarians,” Paxton stated in an email.
Business people and parliamentarians have been invited by the military and MacKay’s office to take flights on military aircraft to learn about the Canadian Forces. The Defence Department has an office to co-ordinate such visits as part of its efforts to promote a better understanding of the military.
Journalists have flown on board aircraft as they have gone into military operations with troops or have reported on Canadian Forces missions.
Original Article
Source: ottawa citizen
Author: David Pugliese
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