The New Face Of Canada's Mission In Afghanistan

In addition, the prime minister's decision to move Bev Oda to head the Canadian International Development Agency was met with mixed reactions, especially after she took an axe to key status of women programs when she was heritage minister and given that many of CIDA's programs deal with gender issues. Unsurprisingly, embattled defence minister Gordon O'Connor was appointed to the national revenue portfolio. The Conservatives, one high-ranking defence official told Embassy last month, knew when they were elected that purchasing new equipment–especially in the form of helicopters and aircraft–would be a major aspect of the party's military policy. By the end of his 30-year career in the military, Mr. O'Connor had attained the rank of brigadier general, and as the only Conservative with extensive military and defence industry experience, it was felt he'd excel in the portfolio. But over the next 18 months he was forced to publicly apologize over statements on the handling of Afghan detainees, was caught out on funeral benefits for the families of fallen soldiers, and controversy erupted over the process by which the government was going about purchasing the new equipment. http://www.embassymag.ca/html/index.php?display=story&full_path=/2007/august/15/newface/ [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on August 16, 2007]

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