Vice-admiral ‘anxious’ to clear name
Norman accused of breach of trust over secrets leak
OTTAWA• Vice-Admiral Mark Norman walked out of the Ottawa courthouse in full uniform on Tuesday and said he’s anxious to finally get his day in court — and get back to serving Canada.
His lawyer, meanwhile, says the federal government is making him a scapegoat.
It was the first public appearance for the second-highest officer in Canada’s military since his stunning suspension from duty in January 2017. After an RCMP investigation that lasted more than a year, he was criminally charged last month with breach of trust for allegedly leaking government secrets.
“I’m anxious to get to court, get this dealt with as quickly as possible, and get back to serving the people of Canada,” Norman told reporters, breaking his silence for the first time outside the courthouse with his lawyer, high-profile Toronto attorney Marie Henein, at his side.
Asked if he was being made a scapegoat, Henein stepped in to answer: “I think that’s self-evident, isn’t it?”
Henein said their overriding concern is to get the case moving following a lengthy investigation that has seen Norman’s house raided and reams of documents seized by investigators.
“We’ve been waiting for a year and a half to deal with his matter,” she said. “I’m tired of shadow- boxing. We want to get this going, get this dealt with, and let the public know exactly what this case is about.”
They left without taking further questions.
It was the first court appearance in the Norman matter, a session to determine logistics and timelines for the case. Henein told the provincial court judge that most of the Crown’s evidence has been disclosed, and her priority is to get the case “on the rails and get moving towards a hearing on the merits.”
As a judicial pre-trial was set for May 15, Norman stood behind Henein at the front of the courtroom, his navy cap tucked under his arm.
A handful of Norman’s supporters were in the courtroom carrying small Canadian flags. Brent Lockwood, a former navy classmate of Norman’s from more than 30 years ago, said he’s convinced the entire process has been unjust.
“He’s one of the most honourable people you’ ll ever meet, and he’s done more for the navy than probably anyone else has,” he said. “I believe him when he says he didn’t do anything wrong, so I want to be here to support him.”
Norman’s supporters have been furious over how the vice-admiral has been treated by his government. When he was mysteriously removed from command in 2017, neither the Canadian Forces nor the Liberal cabinet ministers would explain why, allowing a cloud of suspicion and rumours to hang over the officer.
It eventually emerged that Norman was suspected of lea king classified cabinet discussions, but he wasn’ t formally charged until Mar. 9, 2018. The RCMP alleges Norman tipped off Davie shipyards that the Liberal government was going to delay a key navy program involving the Quebec firm converting a com- mercial ship, the Asterix, into a supply vessel.
Details about the Liberal decision to put the supply ship project on hold leaked out to the news media and the resulting embarrassment forced the government to back down on its plans. Furious about the leak, the Liberal government called in the RCMP to investigate.
The case against Norman centres on a Nov. 19, 2015, meeting by Liberal cabinet ministers who decided to delay the Davie supply project after they received a letter from the firm’s east coast rival, Irving Shipbuilding. Irving, closely linked to the Trudeau government, has denied allegations it was involved in political meddling to undercut a rival shipyard.
Norman wasn’t at the cabinet meeting but searches of electronic devices and computers at Davie showed he had exchanged emails with one company official. He has maintained he never divulged any classified information or cabinet confidences, and some supporters feel he’s been unfairly singled out for punishment in an official Ottawa where leaking information to media is commonplace, and where it’s not unusual for military officers and defence industry players to communicate.
Last year Norman requested legal assistance from a special government fund that covers legal fees for federal employees involved in legal situations related to their work. But the Department of National Defence and Justice Department declined that request, claiming that Norman was guilty of disclosing confidential information, even though at the time no charges had been laid. That determination of guilt was made by a small group of military officers and bureaucrats. They did not conduct any investigation and the DND has declined to say how this determination of guilt was arrived at. That prompted a fundraising effort to help Norman with his legal bills. By Monday that fund had raised almost $100,000.