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A retired general who once led Canada's troops in Afghanistan is accusing the federal Conservatives of a "personal attack" over his moving expenses to undermine his new role as a Liberal adviser.

Former lieutenant-general Andrew Leslie brushed off what he characterized as a partisan smear Sunday, saying he's been shot at by "real bullets" and can withstand the scrutiny that comes with working for Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau.

The 35-year Canadian Forces veteran posted the comments online the same day the Defence Minister said he would ask his department to explain how it approved in-city moving expenses of more than $72,000 for Leslie — an amount Rob Nicholson said appeared "grossly excessive."

"In the meantime, it is important for Andrew Leslie to explain why he believes this is a reasonable expense for hard-working Canadians to absorb," Nicholson said in a statement. "This is a matter of judgment and the responsible use of taxpayers' dollars."

Nicholson was reacting to a CTV News report Saturday based on a government document. CTV did not say how it obtained the document, but Nicholson's office said Sunday it was released under the Access to Information Act.

In a posting on his Facebook page Sunday, Leslie said he knew when he joined the Liberal Party and took on a role as adviser to Trudeau he would be "subject to partisan attacks."

Leslie did not explain in his statement how he concluded the Tories were behind the story.

It aired just a week before Leslie, touted as a candidate in the next federal election, is to address a Liberal convention in Montreal.

Leslie said Sunday that like all Canadian Forces personnel who retire after 20 or more years of service, he was offered and accepted a standard benefit that allows veterans a final move to anywhere in Canada.

In Leslie's case, he and his family decided to move from their Ottawa house to a smaller one nearby.

"After moving homes 18 times in the service of my country, I was glad to make a new house in Ottawa our new, permanent home," he said in the statement.

"Each step of the process is overseen by a third-party supplier, and independent approvals for every expenditure are required, as directed by the Treasury Board of Canada. Costs are paid directly to the suppliers (real estate agents, movers etc.) by the Department of National Defence."

Leslie said that after retiring, he joined the federal Liberal Party because he felt "it was time for a change in how politics is conducted" in Canada.

"I saw how the Conservative Party often attacks those people that might dare to disagree with them," adding all too often the tactic is to make the issue personal, not about differences in policy or vision.

Now that he has joined Trudeau's team as a senior adviser on defence and foreign policy, the Conservatives have made him the target of just such a personal attack, Leslie said.

"I can take it. I have been shot at by real bullets. What is disappointing is that this particular attack may raise questions over a military retirement benefit and I do not think veterans deserve to have another measure called into question."
with files from CBC News



http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/former- ... rew-leslie
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liberals..."I'm entitled to my entitlements"....

72 grand to move across town? Did they wipe your dogs ass before they gave him a ride in the limo?


Lefties are still complaining about an alleged "illegal" 90 grand that re payed taxpayers.

   

72k? FFS did he move to a new house or did he move his old house to a new location?

   

The Conservatives going after veterans again.

   

They're an easy target in a country that doesn't give a damn abut their military.

Canada gets far better soldiers, sailors, airmen than it deserves.

   

That $72,000-plus figure looks large, of course, but the former commander of Canadian troops in Afghanistan noted that the whole process was managed by “a third party provider,” not directly by him, and the total includes not just the cost of moving his possessions, but also legal and real-estate fees.

http://www2.macleans.ca/2014/02/17/no-m ... ing-costs/

Maybe hold off on the lefty hangin' there JJ eh?

   

What matters is how this figure relates compared to the many others who have used this benefit. It may be legal, but did the general dip his hand deeper into the cookie jar than most?

   

I think the General's point is that the entire process for retirement relocation in the military is handled by a third party, so he wasn't aware of the costs. A 5% commission on a million dollar home would be $50K right there.

   

Next we'll be paying for any difference in value between new house and old. Christ, what if he'd moved to Vancouver, the bill could be $1,000,000

This benefit maybe should be looked at. Does poor joe grunt in the military get to spend 70k on moving expenses too? That could get rich pretty quick. Apparently the RCMP has the same deal, and who knows what other government branch.

   

Hey Mr. Harper, "Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words can never hurt me!"

   

Perhaps the benefit should be looked at, but that is not what is happening here. This is a Minister fgoing through employee records to dig up dirt. He said he was going to be asking his officials if the expense was justified--wouldn't it have been rpudent to ask that prior to tweeting it? Just more gutter politics.

   

I know that, and it's been pointed out that it can backfire on the Cons because they'll have the same "skeleton" in their closet.

I thought it wasn't clear who leaked this?

   

Sorry--the tweet was from the PMO. It's pretty clear to me who leaked this.

   

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/co ... story.html

Man raises some good points.

   

Global News made the request for information about expenses and found this on their fishing expedition. What we don't know is how it was leaked to CTV before Global published.

This is the same rich Liberal general who fired DND employees to save money. This rich Liberal followed the rules but so did Duffy, Wallin and Oda. The Liberals are just getting a taste of their own medicine of what they went through when they did the exact same thing.

Bev Oda shouldn’t have been driven from office over a glass of OJ. So this is just plain double standards, Why should Leslie not be held to the same standards they want the other people they pilloried held to.

   

Thanks for this. The rest is drivel.

   

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