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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has given new defence minister his marching orders — and Harjitt Sajjan’s top priority is to end Canada’s combat mission in Iraq and Syria.

The Nov. 6 letter, released Friday in a package of so-called “mandate letters” from the prime minister to his cabinet members, was also notable for what it didn’t say in terms of the other thorny defence issues facing the new Liberal government.

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While it makes reference to “refocusing Canada’s efforts in the region on training local forces and humanitarian support,” it does not spell out what that will look like.

Sajjan was told to work with Public Services and Procurement Minister Judy Foote on an “open and transparent” competition to replace Canada’s CF-18 fighter jets, but the letter makes no reference to excluding the F-35 — something Trudeau promised during the election.

The letter also makes no reference to overhauling National Defence along the lines of retired lieutenant-general — now Liberal MP — Andrew Leslie’s transformation report.