Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is denying that his department misled the public about a disastrous booze-fuelled trip aboard an Air Force plane, contrary to what a prominent defence reporter wrote earlier this week.

In December 2017, a “Team Canada” tour aboard a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) plane was headed to Greece and Latvia when it turned raucous. Military members and so-called VIPs, including former NHL player Dave “Tiger” Williams, drank in excess and partied aggressively. A member of the RCAF was allegedly sexually assaulted aboard the flight. Williams was charged with sexual assault and assault, charges he denies.

Rick Ekstein, a Toronto businessman who was aboard the flight, posted a video from the flight on his Facebook page. It was posted on YouTube by the Toronto Star:

Team Canada trips are supposed to build morale for Canadian soldiers. In February, Chief of the Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said such trips had been suspended, and that alcohol would no longer be served aboard RCAF service flights.

The Ottawa Citizen wrote earlier this week that throughout reporting on the flight, the newspaper had been intentionally misled by both Vance’s and Sajjan’s staff.

“I can assure you: no one in the department (of National Defence) was trying to mislead on this,” Sajjan told reporters after appearing at the House Defence committee on Thursday.

The deputy minister of Defence, Jody Thomas, who was also accused of trying to mislead journalists, echoed Sajjan’s claims.

“There was no attempt to mislead by my (assistant deputy minister) of public affairs, Chris Henderson, or by the minister’s spokesperson, Byrne Furlong. Information was released as it became available. Two investigations have begun. That revealed more information,” Thomas said.

Conservative Defence critic James Bezan held a news conference before Thursday’s meeting, where he said his party would be questioning Sajjan about the Team Canada flight and the subsequent release of information about it.

“By not being transparent, by dribbling out information, just goes to the fact that the publics affairs branch of National Defence has been used to further reduce the intel or lack of information, or the lying surrounding this situation,” Bezan said.

At the committee meeting, Sajjan repeatedly sidestepped questions about the flight. Instead, he denied that he or his staff intentionally gave incorrect information about the flight’s cost, the amount of alcohol consumed, or about the sexual assault that allegedly occurred. When pressed by Conservative MP Cheryl Gallant, Sajjan would not say when he was briefed on the alleged sexual assault.

“When this was discovered, one thing I can assure everybody on this committee (is) that we have an absolute, aggressive, zero-tolerance policy on this,” Sajjan said.

While speaking to the committee and again to reporters afterward, Sajjan said the information was interpreted incorrectly because it was provided through Canada’s Access to Information system. He also accused the Conservatives of playing “games” by pressing the issue.

Wilson said the department of Defence is doing an “end-to-end” review of the planning of Team Canada flights.

Bezan wasn’t satisfied with the minister’s responses to the committee, issuing a statement following the meeting.

“The men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as the Canadian public, have a right to know if Minister Sajjan or his staff approve the misleading statements that attempted to cover up this reckless trip,” Bezan said.

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