General Hillier should be fired

General Rick Hillier has crossed the line. In the midst of a debate in the Canadian Parliament over Canada's continued role in Afghanistan, Hillier told an association of defence contractors today that prolonged debate is putting the lives of Canadian soldiers at risk. He implied that the suicide bombings in Kandahar this week occurred because the Taliban perceived a political vulnerability and chose to exploit it.

The Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have been collaborating to forge a motion that would see Parliament vote to extend the mission with a clear deadline for exit and conditions for staying beyond the original exit date of February 2008.

Hillier's remarks go beyond the pale and represent a crass attempt by the leader of the Canadian military to terminate the Parliamentary debate. Has Hillier forgotten that we live in a democracy and that Parliament, not the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, determines the extent and nature of the commitment of Canadian forces to a foreign conflict.

It's time for the PM to fire Hillier and show the country who's in charge. If not, what's next? A coup d'etat in Ottawa?

Hillier approval rating low

The Globe and Mail's online poll recently asked:

Do you think Canada's Chief of Defence Staff, General Rick Hillier, is doing a good job?

76% of the respondents disapproved of the General's performance. That speaks volumes about the public's response to Hillier's antics in upstaging our elected representatives. Let's hope that the PM soon comes to his senses and ends Hillier's tenure as CDS, as reported by CTV this past week.

Yes
24% 5880 votes

No
76% 18817 votes

Hillier's Day of reckoning Looms

CTV News reported tonight that the Harper government plans to replace Gen. Rick Hillier as chief of defence staff when his three-year term expires in February. Hillier is widely perceived to have undermined former Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor. He also tend to upstage his politiocal bosses all the time.

In a democracy the military are servants of our elected representatives. Hillier forgot this so it is only appropriate that he be turfed at the end of his current term.

Hillier blocks release of detainee info

Why is General Rick Hillier preventing the release of detainee information under Access to Information Act? The Globe and Mail reports that the office of General Hillier has halted the release of any documents relating to detainees captured in Afghanistan under the federal Access to Information Act, claiming that disclosure of any such information could endanger Canadian troops. Apparently the flow of documents about detainees has virtually dried up and the department has summarily rejected requests for the same kind of documents it released earlier.

What is General Hillier trying to hide? I thought Canadians were fighting and dying in Afghanistan to preserve freedom. This is rather ironic in light of this denial of the basic right to freedom of information here in Canada.