An Army Astray

Relations between Cabinet, senior bureaucrats and the Canadian Forces have been tense of late. Arguments about the role of civilians in overseeing the military’s operations in Afghanistan led General Rick Hillier to criticize the interference of “field marshal wannabes” in his farewell speech as chief of the defence staff. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sought, with a good deal of frustration, to get the military and defence department to achieve greater administrative efficiency. Public Works and Government Services Canada has been involved in more than one confrontation with the Department of National Defence over the acquisition of new military equipment. Indeed, defence procurement has arguably created a wedge between the military and the Conservatives, a party that came to power determined to champion and rebuild the armed forces.

When we hear about discord between ministers and the military, there are reasons to assume that the politicians are largely at...