Military ombudsman says predecessor was ‘unfairly treated

Lick says he initially believed when he took over the job from Walbourne in November that he could work within the current structure, which involves the deputy minister of the Defence Department having to approve his budget and staffing. Numerous documents obtained by The Canadian Press also show Walbourne and the Defence Department at odds over his requests for funding and staffing approvals, including for what is described as routine travel to meet with service members and clients.

Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan also cancelled all meetings with Walbourne after the ombudsman raised an allegation of sexual misconduct against then-defence chief Gen. Jonathan Vance during a closed-door session on March 1, Global News has reported the allegation relates to a lewd email that Vance purportedly sent to a much younger soldier in , before he became commander of the Armed Forces.

Vance has denied any wrongdoing, and the allegation has not been independently verified. The Liberal government has said it is looking at ways to step up independent oversight of the military following allegations of misconduct against Vance and current defence chief Adm. Art McDonald, but it has yet to provide any details.

In an interview with The

And for people to come forward, they have to have complete confidence that the individuals, the organization that treats their case, will be objective and will treat them fairly. Lick also responded to questions about his own personal independence, given that he previously worked with Defence Department deputy minister Jody Thomas at the Canadian Coast Guard for about a decade before succeeding Walbourne as military ombudsman.

Lick confirmed talking to Thomas when an official at the Defence Department reached out to him in the summer of to gauge his interest in taking over from Walbourne on an interim basis. At the time, Lick was planning to retire after 34 years in the coast guard, and did not know what an ombudsman did. He said he reached out to Thomas because of their past working relationship.

He said he did not know who recommended him as a possible candidate for the job. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful.