Tories scramble to support defence chief [Deny rumours Hillier to be replaced]

OTTAWA - The Conservative government scrambled Wednesday to squelch reports it's about to sack Canada's top military commander, an articulate spokesman for the war in Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said there has been no discussion in his office or with other senior officials about removing Gen. Rick Hillier as chief of defence staff.

"I think he's an outstanding soldier who's bringing strong leadership to the Canadian Forces," Harper said in a news conference.

Defence Minister Peter MacKay, speaking to reporters in Halifax, said Hillier has shown tremendous leadership in the continuing war against terrorism.

"He serves at the pleasure of the prime minister and the prime minister is pleased with what Rick Hillier is doing," said MacKay.

The chief of defence staff, who oversees all branches of the military, does not serve a defined term. The average tenure is between three and five years and Hillier has been in the post since February 2005. In the last 30 years, only two officers - Gen. Jacques Dextraze and Gen. John de Chastelain - have served longer than three years.

Hillier denied he's on thin ice with the government because of his outspoken nature and toyed with reporters at a U.S. embassy-sponsored military trade show, saying that the only earth-shaking event in February he's aware of involves an NHL hockey game in support of the Canadian Forces.

The general said he has not asked the government for a term longer than three years, but conceded there is a lot he still wants to accomplish, specifically reshaping the military to face the challenges of brushfire wars like Afghanistan.

"The Canadian Forces will always be involved in mission and I won't be the chief of defence staff for forever," he said after delivering a 40-minute slide-show speech, which highlighted the war in Afghanistan.

For the moment he's focused on his job and denies he's already been looking for opportunities in the private sector.

The suggestion that Hillier was about to be dropped by the Tories for political reasons puzzled many defence experts, including Liberal Senator Colin Kenny, who chairs the Senate security and defence committee.

The general's outspoken endorsement of the Harper government's approach to the military and his characterization of the 1990s as a "decade of darkness" has enraged Liberals and prompted them to accuse Hillier of being a closet Conservative.

"I think a number of people believe he has assumed a more political role," said Kenny.

Alex Morrison, president of the Canadian Institute of Strategic Studies, says the Conservatives would be making a mistake if they replaced Hillier before it's clear whether the country will extend its mission in Kandahar beyond Parliament's self-imposed deadline of February 2009.

As a former NATO commander in Afghanistan, Hillier has intimate knowledge of the mission.

If the government is thinking about a change, Kenny said, it will likely have nothing to do with politics and everything to do with internal criticism at the Defence Department over the modernization of the military.

Earlier this year an internal report criticized efforts to transform the Forces as being too focused on and driven by Hillier's personality.

The following is the CanWest News Service version, via National Post

No discussion about top soldier's replacement, PM says
Meagan Fitzpatrick, CanWest News Service
Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2007
OTTAWA - There have been no discussions about replacing Gen. Rick Hillier, Canada's top soldier, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday.
In fact, the prime minister said, he has only recently given Hillier, Canada's chief of the defence staff, a good review.
In a rare news conference with the parliamentary press gallery, Harper conceded that the defence chief serves at the pleasure of the government. However, he underlined there is no reason to replace the man who has ably headed Canada's military, in particular its current war effort in Afghanistan, since January 2005.
Harper also emphasized the importance of the Afghanistan mission, noting it is one of the government's key priorities for the new session of Parliament, which resumes with a throne speech on Oct. 16.
Earlier Wednesday, Hillier also told reporters that he loves his job and has no plans to go anywhere.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa, a relaxed and joking Hillier said there is no truth to the rumours that have been circulating over the past 24 hours that either the government wanted to shuffle him out of his post or that he is looking to be relieved of his duties.
"I indicated when I took this appointment that I would serve at the pleasure of the government and that continues," said the native of Newfoundland, who was appointed to the top military post by the previous Liberal government.
Hillier said he doesn't know where the reports of his potential replacement originated, or why, but that he is 100 per cent focused on his job.
"I love being a soldier. I do the job to serve. Truly that's why I took the job," said Hillier, who added he still has things he wants to do in his role.
"At some point in time, either the prime minister will ask me, or I will indicate to him, that the time has come - and that will come, I'm sure, in the future," said Hillier. There is no fixed term for chief of defence staff.
The general said he has a good working relationship with Defence Minister Peter MacKay and feels he has the support of both the defence minister and Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Hillier said he also had a good relationship with former defence minister Gordon O'Connor, who was replaced by MacKay in a cabinet shuffle in August. Hillier said nothing should be made of the fact that he was late for an event honouring O'Connor on Tuesday.
The chief of defence staff said he has had no discussions with the government about the reports of his replacement.

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