Bill Blair says he oversaw culture change at Toronto police, not everyone agrees
CTV
National Defence Minister Bill Blair is raising eyebrows over comments he made about overseeing culture change at the Toronto Police Service while serving as chief.
As he settles in to the corner office in Ottawa's National Defence headquarters, Bill Blair is feeling pretty comfortable in his new role.
This is his fourth ministerial job since 2018, when he was put in charge of border security and organized crime reduction. Blair has also overseen the departments of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness -- roles where he's been in close contact with the military.
"I want to make sure that they have the support, the resources, the training, the equipment that they need in order to be there for Canadians," Blair said in an interview.
Anita Anand's departure as defence minister less than two years after she took over, pledging to change the military's culture and tackle the sexual misconduct crisis that had seen a slate of top generals removed from their positions, came as a surprise to many.
When the cabinet shuffle was announced, she and Blair both seemed prepared to respond to questions about the optics of replacing a woman of colour with a 69-year-old man.
"I have no doubt in my mind that he understands, given his experience, large organizations and how they work," Anand told reporters.
When he faced the media shortly after, Blair also touted his experience as chief of the Toronto Police Service from 2005 to 2015.
