Former military official should know when to wave the white flag

OTTAWA—In every good Hollywood boxing movie, there comes a scene when a pummelled boxer is instructed by his trainer to “stay down” in order to avoid a further beating. If the boxer still attempts to rise, the trainers will mercifully “throw in the towel” to signal the official to end the fight. I fear that in the case of retired Lt.-Gen. Michel Maisonneuve, he either has no trainer in his corner or he is too punch-drunk to accept their sound advice. The saga began on Nov. 9, when the Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) Institute hosted its 30th annual Vimy Gala dinner in Gatineau, Que. The CDA Institute promoted this event as “one of the most formal dining evenings which unites the defence and security community.” While the Vimy Gala did bring out a record number of well-heeled guests—including a Supreme Court justice, senior military brass, and top bureaucrats—the keynote speech proved to be far from unifying. In accepting this year’s Vimy Award, Maisonneuve criticized everything from the removal of historical statues to the Trudeau government’s climate-change policies. Maisonneuve bemoaned the lack of unbiased media reporting and took particular offence to the recent changes made to the Canadian Armed Forces’ dress regulations, which now allow members a freer expression of personal choices. While Maisonneuve’s comments were rewarded with a standing ovation, it was clearly evident that many in attendance were not pleased. Realizing that such remarks from the recipient of what is intended to be an apolitical award from an apolitical organization, CDA Institute executive director Youri Cormier was quick to issue a disclaimer. “Many attendees were offended by speech. His remarks do not reflect those of the CDA Institute,” stated Cormier. Some of those offended guests immediately posted their displeasure on social media outlets that evening. The next day, on Nov. 10, the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans announced that Maisonneuve, who was already on their board of directors, was to lead that organization’s fundraising efforts. So far, so good. It seemed that Maisonneuve was in the clear. However, on Nov. 15, Ottawa Citizen reporter David Pugliese published the Vimy speech story, complete with Maisonneuve’s anti-government policy statements, plus the fact that many senior serving personnel had responded with a standing ovation. Following the Citizen report, National Defence Minister Anita Anand and Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, the Canadian Armed Forces chief of professional conduct and culture, both publicly criticized Maisonneuve’s comments. Exhibiting a lack of bias which Maisonneuve claimed no longer exists in mainstream media, the National Post published a copy of Maisonneuve’s entire speech online. Like throwing fuel on a lit fire, the contents of the speech remained polarizing within the defence community on many social media platforms. Maisonneuve’s self-proclaimed “anti-woke” commentary was music to the ears of those who long for a golden era that never was, while to those who consider themselves progressive, Maisonneuve’s words were akin to dinosaur grunts. As the controversy continued to bubble over, on Nov. 25, the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans asked for and received Maisonneuve’s resignation from their board of directors. It was at this juncture that the good general should have heeded the famous words of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and simply “faded away.” Instead, Maisonneuve decided to double down with a statement published once again by the National Post. He claimed his words had been “misrepresented” and “distorted,” even though they had been published in their entirety. For a guy who had loudly criticized those special interest groups who “fight over who gets to wear the coveted victim’s cloak,” Maisonneuve is now painting himself as a victim of cancel culture. Responding to the allegations that his criticism of Chief of Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre’s new military dress regulations was out of place, Maisonneuve wrote, “This is simply not true.” Pledging his respect for Eyre, Maisonneuve acknowledged that the current CDS is “navigating a difficult road.” However, this was then followed by Maisonneuve stating that in his opinion, “uniforms ought to be uniform.” He also used his statement to double down on his criticism of the Trudeau Liberals. “The government does not seem to understand the requirements of military service and its unlimited liability clause,” wrote Maisonneuve. The truly ironic part of Maisonneuve’s argument is that he repeatedly calls for leaders to be less divisive and more unifying. I realize there are many loud voices who consider themselves to be in Maisonneuve’s “anti-woke” camp and they will happily echo his sentiments. However, as a retired general, Maisonneuve should have had the good sense not to use the apolitical forum of the Vimy Gala to mount his soapbox and air his personal beefs. If the CDA Institute truly feels Maisonneuve does not reflect its views, then it needs to revoke the award which it bestowed upon him. As for Maisonneuve, I suggest that it is high time to throw in the towel. To paraphrase the old saying; “If you wish to extricate yourself from a crap storm, stop blowing hot air.” Scott Taylor is the editor and publisher of Esprit de Corps magazine. The Hill Times