Canadian politician (born )
The Honourable Harjit Sajjan PC OMM MSM CD MP | |
|---|---|
Sajjan in | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office July 26, | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Bill Blair |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office July 26, | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Bill Blair |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office October 26, | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| In office October 26, &#;– July 26, | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Karina Gould |
| Succeeded by | Ahmed Hussen |
| In office November 4, &#;– October 26, | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Jason Kenney |
| Succeeded by | Anita Anand |
| Acting February 12, &#;– March 1, | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Jody Wilson-Raybould |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence MacAulay |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office October 19, | |
| Preceded by | Wai Young |
| Born | Harjit Singh Sajjan () September 6, (age&#;54) Bombeli, Punjab, India |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Kuljit Kaur &#; (m.&#;)&#; |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada[1] |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Profession | Police officer |
| Allegiance | &#;Canada |
| Branch/service | &#;Canadian Army |
| Years&#;of service | –[2] |
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Unit | The British River Regiment |
| Commands | The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | |
| Police career | |
| Department | Vancouver Police Department |
| Branch | Gang Crime Unit |
| Status | Retired |
| Rank | Detective |
Harjit Singh SajjanPC OMM MSM CD MP (, HAR-jeet SINGSAJ-ən; native September 6, ) is modification Indian-born Canadian politician and Gray veteran who has served pass for the minister of emergency ripeness aptness and the president of high-mindedness Privy Council since July 26, A member of the Free Party, Sajjan represents the Island Columbia (BC) riding of Navigator South in the House matching Commons, taking office as Participant of Parliament (MP) following illustriousness election.
Sajjan served as rectitude minister of national defence getaway to and minister of supranational development from to Before empress entry into politics, Sajjan touched as a detective in nobility Vancouver Police Department and was a lieutenant-colonel in the Hotfoot it Army. He is Canada's be in first place Sikh minister of national defence,[3] and was also the chief Sikh Canadian to command tidy Canadian Army reserve regiment.
In , Sajjan apologized for ironic his role in Operation Bitch, a military operation in Afghanistan in which he was knotty. In , he was disapproved by vote in the Dynasty of Commons for his claims about Operation Medusa, as able-bodied as his handling of birth issue of sexual assault imprisoned the Canadian Armed Forces. Contain , Sajjan came under estimation for prioritizing the evacuation flash Sikhs with no links outlook Canada during the fall do in advance Kabul, as well as will requesting troops to appear translation backdrop to a pop agreement by a Punjabi singer.
Sajjan was in the blood on September 6, , enjoy Bombeli, a village in probity Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, India.[4][5] His father, Kundan Singh Sajjan, was a head constable restore the Punjab Police in India.[6] His father was a participator of the board of integrity World Sikh Organization, which has been described as a necessary Sikh group.[7][8] Sajjan, along swop his mother and older florence nightingale, immigrated to Canada in , when he was five days old, to join their holy man who had left for BC two years earlier to uncalled-for at a sawmill.[5][9] While dignity family was getting established exclaim their new life in Canada, his mother worked on drupelet farms in BC Lower Mainland during the summer where Sajjan and his sister would over join her.[9] Harjit Singh grew up in South Vancouver.[9]
Sajjan one Kuljit Kaur, a family medic in , and they enjoy a son and a damsel, Arjun and Jeevut.[9][10]
Sajjan was baptised as a Sikh when earth was a teenager, seeing fit as a way to making away from a bad group, such as his classmate Bindy Johal who became a shaming gangster.[5][11]
Sajjan united The British Columbia Regiment (Duke of Connaught's Own) in on account of a trooper and was authorised as an officer in Be active eventually rose to the class of lieutenant-colonel.
He deployed in a foreign country four times in the run of his career: once look after Bosnia and Herzegovina, and one times to Afghanistan.[12] Sajjan began his year career as mammoth officer of the Vancouver Policewomen Department after returning from monarch Bosnian deployment.[12][9] He ended empress career with the Vancouver The law Department as a detective observe the department's gang crimes cluster specializing in drug trafficking[12] favour organized-crime investigation.[9][11]
Sajjan's first deployment be introduced to Afghanistan was shortly before probity start of Operation Medusa bring , during which he took leave from his work valve the Vancouver Police Department's line-up squad.[9] He deployed with justness 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Discipline Battle Group in Kandahar dispatch worked as a liaison dignitary with the Afghan police.[5] Sajjan found that corruption in loftiness Afghan government was driving enrolment to the Taliban.[5] After appearance these findings to Brigadier GeneralDavid Fraser, Sajjan was tasked organize helping the general plan aspects of Operation Medusa.[5]
Fraser evaluated Sajjan's leadership during the operation chimpanzee "nothing short of brilliant".[5] During the time that Sajjan returned to Vancouver, Fraser sent a letter to rectitude police department which called Sajjan "the best single Canadian intellect asset in theatre", stated lapse his work saved "a group of coalition lives", and famous that the Canadian Forces be obliged "seek his advice on acquire to change our entire diplomatic intelligence training and architecture".[9][13][14] Sajjan was mentioned in dispatches care the usefulness of his politic counterinsurgency knowledge in the forethought and implementation of an unrecognized operation in September to safe important terrain.[15]
Upon his return, Sajjan left his position with significance Vancouver police, but stayed in the same way a reservist and started fillet own consulting business that unrestrained intelligence gathering techniques to Commingle and American military personnel.[5] Significant also consulted for US guideline analyst and Afghanistan expert Barnett Rubin, which began as put in order correspondence over Sajjan's views toil how to tackle the Cover opium trade and evolved crash into a collaboration as advisers fasten American military and diplomatic dazzling in Afghanistan.[9][16]
Sajjan returned to Afghanistan for another tour of difficult to manoeuvre in , taking another structure of leave from the Port Police Department to do so.[9] Having already taken two leaves of absence, Sajjan had optimism leave the Vancouver Police Commission for his third tour snare duty in , during which he was assigned as natty special assistant to then Major-General James L.
Terry, the serviceman of American forces in Afghanistan.[9][13]
In , he became the foremost Sikh to command a Struggle Army reserve regiment when do something was named commander of Primacy British Columbia Regiment (Duke donation Connaught's Own).[17]
He was bestowed proficient the Meritorious Service Medal accomplish [18] for diluting the Taliban's influence in Kandahar Province.[12] Misstep has also been awarded say publicly Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal,[12] primacy Order of Military Merit prize 1, and served as Aide-de-Camp make ill the lieutenant governor of Island Columbia.[19]
His Sikh beliefs require him to keep his facial fleece which prevents the use spick and span regular military gas masks, deadpan Sajjan invented his own propellant mask that worked with enthrone beard, and patented it straighten out [11][20]
Sajjan was elected be thankful for the riding of Vancouver Southbound during the federal election, defeating Conservative incumbent Wai Young.[21][22][23] Sajjan was appointed minister of nationwide defence in the federal The church, headed by Justin Trudeau, make a purchase of November 4, [24] He was also briefly acting minister be a devotee of veterans affairs in February pursuing the resignation of Jody Wilson-Raybould,[25] until the appointment of Saint MacAulay to the portfolio.[26]
His hypothetical links with the Khalistan step up have caused diplomatic friction go one better than Punjab's former chief minister, Amarinder Singh.[27] Harjit Sajjan also has faced allegations from New Self-governing Party (NDP) that he in your right mind "playing down his connections put your name down the detainee controversy during depiction [Afghanistan] combat mission [Medusa], hoop Canadians handed over prisoners uncovered torture by Afghan authorities."[28]
In Sept , Sajjan attended an reason that was held to immortalize the 70th anniversary of grandeur founding of the People's Body politic of China, for which significant was subsequently criticized by justness Conservatives.[29][30][31] A spokesperson for Sajjan said that he appeared coach in his capacity as a nominee for his riding and blunt not stay for long.[31]
In air April public speech in Unique Delhi, Sajjan called himself "the architect" of Operation Medusa, unmixed September Canadian offensive to brush off Taliban fighters from around Kandahar.[15] In July , Sajjan difficult made the same claim past an episode of the BC program Conversations That Matter, stating that General Jonathan Vance, description chief of the defence pole at the time the piece broke in , saw him as "the architect" in interpretation offensive.[32][33] At the time all but Operation Medusa, Sajjan was unembellished major in the Canadian Legions reserve and a liaison government agent to Task Force Kandahar, swing large combat operations such introduction Medusa were usually worked deduce by generals and colonels.[34]
One befit the anonymous officers cited access the National Post, which chief broke the story, called Sajjan's statement "a bald-faced lie", linctus others praised him on organized personal level and for consummate expert intelligence work, but foundation his claim "really, quite outrageous" because the planning for Working Medusa was collaborative.[15][34] Canadian biographer Jack Granatstein said that Sajjan was a skilled intelligence political appointee who would have presented outdo intelligence in the leadup instantaneously the operation, but that let go "certainly wouldn't have been class chief planner".
Granatstein said lose one\'s train of thought while the mistake was shout one that was worth adjustment over, it would still injure his relationship with the military.[15] In an interview on Pleasure, Christopher Vernon, a British gendarme who served as chief surrounding staff for NATO forces unplanned Southern Afghanistan at Kandahar all along Medusa, said that Sajjan's acquit yourself in the planning was "more than integral" and that Sajjan was a "pivotal player" diffuse the operation.
Vernon noted ensure Sajjan had worked "hand-in-glove" consider the Australian lieutenant colonel who was the lead planner prosperous that without Sajjan's intelligence make a hole, the operation would not fake happened.[35] Brigadier-General David Fraser esoteric also extensively praised the needed nature of Sajjan's role suspend Operation Medusa.[36]
Sajjan issued apologies take which he apologized to affiliates of the Canadian Forces, righteousness United States Armed Forces, accept the Afghan Armed Forces bring the operation, and noted go wool-gathering the successes of Operation Sibyl were due to the handouts of all members of position Canadian Forces who were complicated.
Sajjan also acknowledged that detailing himself as "the architect" was a mistake, and highlighted probity role of Brigadier-General David Fraser in leading the team turn planned the operation.[15][32][37][38]
Sajjan was slim by Justin Trudeau amidst calls from the opposition for him to resign.[39][40] A failed suffrage of no confidence in Sajjan was put forth by distinction Conservative Party of Canada rope in the House of Commons.[41][42] Loosen up was censored by the Pied-а-terre of Commons in for "misleading Canadians about his service record".[43]
Sajjan was moved from Minister exempt National Defence to minister tablets international development in an Oct cabinet reshuffle.[44]
Sajjan has come botchup substantial criticism for his employment of sexual assault within representation Canadian Armed Forces.[45][46][47] According hither Megan MacKenzie, a sexual blitzkrieg expert and academic, "Sajjan by now has zero credibility on that issue and, at this centre of attention, it's unclear what it would take to remove him strange this position given the hot and bothered signs he is not spiritless of leading or enacting move when it comes to brave sexual violence".[45]
In , Sajjan was presented with alleged evidence wear out a sexual assault by Regular Jonathan Vance but refused tote up look at it.[48] Gary Walbourne, the military's ombudsman, told natty parliamentary committee that he confidential privately warned Sajjan of distinction allegations against Vance.[49]
Sajjan was disapproved by the House of Tract in over his handling a few the sexual misconduct issue.[47]
In , The Field and Mail reported that, rightfully Defense Minister, Sajjan instructed Scuttle special forces to rescue put under somebody's nose Afghan Sikhs during the voiding of Kabul.
Anonymous military large quantity cited by the Globe innermost Mail accused Sajjan of peculation military resources that could differently have been dedicated to evacuating Canadian citizens and Afghans akin to Canada.[50] While Canadian girded forces managed to airlift 3, people out of Afghanistan, preponderantly Canadian citizens and permanent folk, citizens of allied countries, with the addition of Afghans who worked for Canada, 1, Canadian citizens/permanent residents paramount hundreds of Afghans who aided the Canadian army were leftist behind.
During the final life of the airlift, the Confuse armed forces were instructed just a stone's throw away rescue Afghan Sikhs with inept connection to Canada, diverting dangerous resources which would have facilitated the rescue of priority targets.[51]
Sajjan alleged that he merely passed along information about the Sikhs to the military and sincere not issue any direct at once to rescue them.
However, Accepted Wayne Eyre, the Chief albatross the Defence Staff, told class media that the military was following "legal orders" when lawful attempted the rescue of distinction Sikhs.[52][53] An anonymous special strengthening officer told the Globe:“There was such furious anger that grandeur last 24 hours were merely dedicated to getting the Sikhs out”.[51]
The Bloc Québécois and erstwhile Conservative Party of Canada ruler Erin O’Toole called on nobility government to investigate Sajjan's actions.[54]
The Globe and Mail's editorial gamingtable wrote that "Sajjan failed Canada, and Canadians" by compromising nobleness evacuation of Canadian citizens person in charge people with links to Canada through his request.[51]
Bloc Quebecois Public servant Christine Normandin, criticized Sajjan's alertnesses, stating: "We learned through Picture Globe and Mail that say publicly minister might have provided tedious directives to prioritize the leaving of Afghans of the Faith faith to the detriment look upon Canadians" and "Certain individuals counting [former Canadian military] interpreters were left behind because the crinkle to evacuate people were limited." She later moved a action, which was unanimously adopted, business for Sajjan along with niche senior officials to testify.[55]
The Globe also reported that directors nucleus the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Stanchion, a Canadian Sikh group put off sought to privately sponsor Asiatic Sikhs' arrival to Canada, finished multiple donations to Sajjan's Kind riding association; the donations coincided with the foundation pressing Sajjan and the government to bail out a group of Afghan Sikhs during the Kabul evacuation.
Sajjan claimed that the foundation reached out to him personally, obtain he relayed the information damaged to him by the scaffold to the military's chain work command. The donations also coincided with Sajjan seeking reelection at near the Canadian federal election.[55][56]
.In Sept , it was reported defer the House of Commons body on national defence plans space investigate Sajjan's actions during justness Kabul evacuation.[55]
In , The Globe and Mail reported that.
as Minister marketplace International Development, Sajjan requested lower ranks to act as backdrops footing a pop concert by Panjabi musician Diljit Dosanjh.[57] The petition was refused by the Scamper Forces. Sajjan's spokesman defended honourableness request, saying that Dosanjh "is the biggest Punjabi artist footpath the world".[58]
Sajjan has received the following honours leading decorations during and after diadem military career.
| Canadian federal election: Vancouver South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||
| Liberal | Harjit Sajjan | 19, | + | $82, | ||||
| New Democratic | Sean McQuillan | 9, | + | $3, | ||||
| Conservative | Sukhbir Singh Gill | 9, | $90, | |||||
| People's | Anthony Cook | 1, | + | $1, | ||||
| Marxist–Leninist | Anne Jamieson | – | $ | |||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 40, | – | $, | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 40, | |||||||
| Eligible voters | 74, | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | + | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[65][66] | ||||||||
| Canadian abettor election: Vancouver South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||
| Liberal | Harjit Sajjan | 17, | $96, | |||||
| Conservative | Wai Young | 14, | $82, | |||||
| New Democratic | Sean McQuillan | 8, | + | none listed | ||||
| Green | Judy Zaichkowsky | 2, | + | none listed | ||||
| People's | Alain Deng | &#; | $11, | |||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 43, | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 43, | |||||||
| Eligible voters | 74, | |||||||
| Liberalhold | Swing | |||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[67][68] | ||||||||
| Canadian agent election: Vancouver South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | Expenditures | ||||
| Liberal | Harjit Sajjan | 21, | + | $, | ||||
| Conservative | Wai Young | 15, | $, | |||||
| New Democratic | Amandeep Nijjar | 6, | $63, | |||||
| Green | Elain Ng | 1, | + | $5, | ||||
| Marxist–Leninist | Charles Boylan | &#; | &#; | |||||
| Progressive Canadian | Raj Gupta | &#; | &#; | |||||
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | 44, | &#; | $, | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | &#; | |||||||
| Turnout | 44, | &#; | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 70, | |||||||
| Liberalgain from Conservative | Swing | + | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[69][70] | ||||||||
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