Is it time for Harjit Sajjan to move on and a new defence minister to take over?

David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen June 13, 2017 | Last Updated: June 13, 2017 1:59 AM EDT



There’s talk in the corridors of National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa these days that Harjit Sajjan’s time as defence minister could be coming to an end.

News outlets are already reporting that a cabinet shuffle is probably in the works for sometime this summer or early fall.

That could be good timing for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to move Sajjan out of his position.

Sajjan has just delivered the Liberal’s Defence Policy Review and so it can be argued has set the stage for his successor. He has been in the job coming up to two years this fall.

In addition, there have been questions about his performance as minister.

Some DND sources suggest that retired Lt. Gen. Andrew Leslie, now a Liberal MP, might come in as defence minister. Leslie has been given the task to build ties with the U.S. because of his connections with members of the U.S. government and military.

Leslie could be a good fit for defence minister as he would give the Trudeau government credibility on military issues, suggest some at the Department of National Defence.

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