The new chief of Canada’s defence staff, Admiral Art McDonald, has stepped down voluntarily as he faces an investigation into unspecified misconduct allegations.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan made the announcement in a statement released late Wednesday night.
Art McDonald, then the commander of the Royal Canadian Navy, is pictured last December shortly before the announcement that he would take over as Canada’s new chief of defence. (CBC/Murray Brewster)
“As I have stated, I take all allegations of misconduct seriously and continue to take strong action on any allegation of misconduct that is brought forward. No matter the rank, no matter the position,” Sajjan said in the statement.
Sajjan appointed Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre, the commander of the army, as acting chief of the defence staff and said he would have no further comment about the ongoing investigation.
McDonald, who commanded the Royal Canadian Navy from 2019 to 2021, was named chief of defence staff on Dec. 23.
The allegations of misconduct against Chief of Defence Staff Art McDonald, who stepped down last night pending an investigation, have not been made public. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)
He assumed command on Jan. 14, succeeding Jonathan Vance, who announced last July that he would be retiring.
At his swearing in, McDonald apologized to members of the military who had faced discrimination and harassment while serving.
“I apologize to you, my teammates, our teammates, who have experienced racism, discriminatory behaviour and or hateful conduct. I’m deeply sorry,” McDonald said.
Military officers of the Canadian Forces are seen around a table in an undated photo published to social media by Chief of Defence Staff Adm. Art McDonald. The photo, which was posted by the Canadian Armed Forces’ chief of defense staff with a message supporting diversity sparked a public backlash. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Admiral Art McDonald)
Earlier this month, he issued another apology when a public backlash erupted after he outlined the need for more diversity by tweeting a photo of himself and seven other white male senior officers around a conference table with one with one woman on a screen in the background.
“It’s true: the leadership of the CAF is, and historically has been, predominantly male and white. That needs to change,” McDonald tweeted.
“We need to reflect Canada’s diversity at all levels. We must work to eliminate systemic racism and dismantle the barriers to career advancement that exist. We are there in mindset but know there is still a lot of work to do, and we are committed to doing it.”
With files from CBC News (Ashley Burke, Kristen Everson, Murray Brewster), The Canadian Press
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