[CaptainCrunch]

Vice Admiral Mark Norman charged with charged with breach of trust for allegedly leaking documents over the replenishment ship project.

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...-of-trust.html

The charge relates to the alleged leak of the Liberal government’s intention to delay a contract to provide the Royal Canadian Navy with an interim supply ship. That delay became public, forcing the Liberal government to stick with the contract plan. But behind-the-scenes, there was anger and questions how cabinet discussions had leaked.


The Privy Council Office, the bureaucratic wing that supports the prime minister’s office, ran an initial investigation into the leak, producing a 210-page report in November 2016. The following month, the RCMP’s sensitive and international investigations section — which handles sensitive cases that pose “significant” threats to Canada's government institutions and public officials — began a probe.


Norman was abruptly relieved of duty as second-in-command of Canada’s military in January 2017 by Gen. Jonathan Vance, the chief of defence staff, who offered little explanation at the time.

The probable reasons why,

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/...ocurement.html

The allegations involve a $700-million contract that the previous Conservative government awarded to Quebec shipyard Chantier Davie to convert a civilian ship into an interim navy supply vessel.

Following the October 2015 federal election, Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding and Vancouver-based Seaspan wrote to the new Liberal government complaining about the deal and pitching their own plans.
Documents obtained by the RCMP and submitted to the court indicate Davie responded by pulling out all the stops to keep the Liberals from cancelling the deal, which was still being finalized.


That included plans to, in the words of one Davie official, “put pressure” on Treasury Board President Scott Brison, leaking information to the media and getting Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard on side.


“(Meeting) with Couillard today,” reads an email from Nov. 20, 2015 that the RCMP says is from Davie official Spencer Fraser to Norman.


“Message is that the yard will be closed, 1,200 lay offs before (Christmas), we will sue the Crown.”


One of Davie’s lobbyists, Brian Mersereau of Hill+Knowlton, also suggests in an email that they “sic the media or the union” on Social Development Minister Jean-Yves Duclos, the senior minister from Quebec City.


The RCMP alleges Norman tried to help Davie by providing a regular stream of updates and advice on how to pressure the Liberals into approving the deal, which included giving the company secret documents.