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Defence Minister Jason Kenney’s credibility has come under fire after some recent public miscues, just as the Conservative government is proposing to expand Canada’s war against the Islamic State.

Kenney has been a visible presence on television and radio news shows, on Twitter and in Parliament since taking over the all-important defence file six weeks ago. He has been forceful on the threat posed by ISIL, proclaiming the government’s support for the military and hammering the opposition for its views on the conflict.

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Yet Kenney, one of the few ministers in Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s cabinet allowed to speak freely, has also found himself clarifying or backtracking on some of his blunt assertions.

For example, earlier this week Kenney spoke to Canadian reporters by phone during a visit to Colorado Springs, Colo., home to North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD). During the call, Kenney was asked about NDP leader Tom Mulcair’s concerns over expanding the war against ISIL into Syria.