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OTTAWA — One of Canada’s top soldiers used his last speech in uniform Friday to rail against an excessive amount of oversight and outside interference in how the military manages its own affairs.

Minutes before he stepped down as vice chief of defence staff, Lt.-Gen. Guy Thibault told his audience that if anything needs to improve, it’s the direction coming from the military’s political masters.

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“If I were king for a day, rather than providing more oversight and controls over National Defence, I’d simply give us clear direction as to the outcomes we’re looking for, with predictable and sustained funding, and then I’d get out of the way and watch,” Thibault said.

“And you would be amazed.”

Thibault’s sharp tone, coming from a man who has served as the military’s second-highest ranking officer for the past three years, was especially notable at a time when trust in National Defence has reached new lows in parts of Ottawa.