• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

The General Hillier Years. The Merged Superthread

Really? Will he allow transfers to his university in a student's 5th year? Leave from school for deployments, half cost living for serving PRes members that go there? Scholarships? If yes, I will be the first one to transfer there to bask in the holiness that is The Big Cod.
 
Haggis,

I knew he was off to MUN. I was having fun with the comparison to DDE.

Cheers,

Sweatie
 
Old Sweat said:
Haggis,

I knew he was off to MUN. I was having fun with the comparison to DDE.

Cheers,

Sweatie

:-[

Seen.  Too much sun yesterday, I guess.
 
MedTech said:
Really? Will he allow transfers to his university in a student's 5th year? Leave from school for deployments, half cost living for serving PRes members that go there? Scholarships? If yes, I will be the first one to transfer there to bask in the holiness that is The Big Cod.

The Chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland is (like most university chancellors in Canada) a titular position.  Though I am sure that Gen Hillier will probably be the most vocal and visible chancellor that MUN has seen, the actual "chief executive" of MUN is the President and Vice-Chancellor.  There are some duties that the Chancellor must peform as well as automatically being a member (ex-officio) of the university's Senate and the Board of Regents, but there have been periods when there was no chancellor at MUN and some past chancellors did not reside in the province.  The outgoing chancellor, John Crosbie (new Lt-Governor of Nfld), continued the practice of law during his tenure.  You may find that Gen Hillier, in addition to whatever role he carves for himself at MUN, will probably be spending a lot of time on the speaking circuit and writing.
 
Blackadder1916 said:
  You may find that Gen Hillier, in addition to whatever role he carves for himself at MUN, will probably be spending a lot of time on the speaking circuit and writing.

You mean he may replace Stephan Staples, et al ??

Joy to the World!!  ;D
 
Top soldier recruited to join law firm's ranks
JANE TABER
From Saturday's Globe and Mail  July 5, 2008 at 2:06 AM EDT

Fresh from running a war, Rick Hillier, who stepped down as chief of the defence staff this week, is temporarily joining Gowlings, a huge law firm in Ottawa, to consider a future “career in the private sector.” The general is not a lawyer and says he has not made any firm decisions about his future. Still, a statement provided by the firm said he “has indicated that when he assumes a new career in September, he is looking to provide strategic advice, leadership training and other consulting services.” And Gowlings can help him with all that. Does this spell lobbying? Certainly, Mr. Hillier's name and expertise in the defence world will add even more cachet to the national firm, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP.

There is a trend developing among law firms to hire well-connected non-lawyers; former Newfoundland premier and former federal cabinet minister Brian Tobin became a senior business adviser to another big firm, Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP, and last January, former Alberta premier Ralph Klein joined Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

Working with/for lawyers!  Could he not find a more honourable workplace, like a brothel?

 
They may represent a brothel by the time The Big Cod has finished with them.

I am confident that the General will NOT lend his name to any organisation without first ensuring that they do not "use and abuse" his a$$(est)
 
Hillier gets combat-ready for business world
JANE TABER From Monday's Globe and Mail July 6, 2008 at 8:47 PM EDT
Article Link

OTTAWA — Rick Hillier begins his second career knowing two things: He won't become a defence lobbyist or a politician.

The rest of it, however, he doesn't know. He will take the summer to decide, pondering his future from the Ottawa offices of Gowlings, a big national law firm with particular expertise in trade and banking. After three years as Canada's top solider, he stepped down last week and is joining the firm.

“We have no regrets and nothing but positive feelings coming off this. I feel very good, very confident, taking a little bit of a break here and then we'll assess what life's going to bring us from there,” he said in an interview on Sunday, interrupting his brunch in the Byward Market with his wife and friends.

At age 53, however, the blunt-speaking former soldier isn't nearly ready to retire.
More on link
 
Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

Hockey sticks and helicopters
How a general made Canada more comfortable with fighting wars

The Economist, 24 Jul 08
Article link

“WE ARE not the public service of Canada,” General Rick Hillier once told journalists. “We are the Canadian Forces and our job is to be able to kill people.” Such a robust view of military power was unusual when General Hillier was appointed chief of the defence staff. In the three years he spent in the post before stepping down earlier this month, he almost succeeded in making it mainstream.

Canadians have often seemed more comfortable with an army that puts up tents and dishes out aid than with one that actually shoots people. The reasons for this are partly historical: the Liberal Party, which ruled Canada for most of the second half of the 20th century, drew much of its support from Quebec, where a dislike of military adventures dates back to the days of the British empire. Defence spending was frozen in the 1970s and 1980s, and then cut back in the 1990s.

Bucking this history, Canada announced in 2005 that it would assume NATO responsibility for providing security in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province and sent 2,000 soldiers to do the job. The task of selling the deployment of these troops fell to the plain-speaking general. The Taliban and Osama bin Laden were, he explained, “detestable murderers and scumbags” who should be hunted down.

To keep public opinion on his side, General Hillier made regular appearances on television accompanied by Afghan veterans, bringing him a level of fame previously unknown for an army officer in Canada. He took ice-hockey players to visit the troops and installed an all-Canadian doughnut shop on the army’s base in Kandahar. The election of the Conservatives in January 2006 made the task easier, providing strong political support for the intervention in Afghanistan. Even with the number of casualties rising (the 88th Canadian soldier was killed there on July 18th), Parliament has approved a two-year extension to the mission until 2011.

Money has followed. The government has acquired over 100 second-hand Leopard 2 tanks, four Boeing C-17 heavy transport aircraft, 17 Hercules planes and made a commitment to buy 16 Chinook heavy-lift helicopters. The navy has not been left out, with a C$1.1 billion ($1.1 billion) refit for a dozen frigates and a C$2.9 billion contract for three ships to support army operations. There is even a plan for a naval port in Nanisivik, in the territory of Nunavut, and up to eight Arctic patrol vessels to fly the flag in the increasingly ice-free far north. In May Stephen Harper, the prime minister, unveiled a new defence strategy called Canada First, with a pledge to increase the annual budget for the military by two-thirds over 20 years.

General Hillier’s successor, Walter Natynczyk, has so far shown a less sure touch. When visiting troops in Kandahar recently he first played down the violence in the region and then conceded that things were in fact getting worse. He also has some unfamiliar problems to deal with. Soldiers are worn out after repeated tours and the army is having trouble retaining them and recruiting suitable replacements. So much so that they have begun to look for recruits in unlikely places. A Canadian Forces recruiting booth at Toronto’s gay pride festival was a surprising first.

 
GAP said:
Hillier gets combat-ready for business world
JANE TABER From Monday's Globe and Mail July 6, 2008 at 8:47 PM EDT
Article Link

OTTAWA — Rick Hillier begins his second career knowing two things: He won't become a defence lobbyist or a politician.

The rest of it, however, he doesn't know. He will take the summer to decide, pondering his future from the Ottawa offices of Gowlings, a big national law firm with particular expertise in trade and banking. After three years as Canada's top solider, he stepped down last week and is joining the firm.

“We have no regrets and nothing but positive feelings coming off this. I feel very good, very confident, taking a little bit of a break here and then we'll assess what life's going to bring us from there,” he said in an interview on Sunday, interrupting his brunch in the Byward Market with his wife and friends.

At age 53, however, the blunt-speaking former soldier isn't nearly ready to retire.
More on link

This is from Gowlings web site (http://www.gowlings.com/industry/govt.asp).  They are lobbyists!!  Afirm doesnt let you "work out of their offices", they pay you to do a job for/represent them.  What's up Rick?

The Government Industry Group has two components. The first provides regulatory affairs and government relations (lobbying) services to clients in the private sector. The second serves governments and government organizations in Canada and around the world. With experience in almost all areas of public policy, Gowlings professionals provide legal advice and consulting services on an extensive range of regulatory and government issues.

Government Relations and Regulatory Affairs: Gowlings has a long and distinguished history of involvement in Canadian public policy, having acted for decades on behalf of governments, private sector interests and public interest organizations on a wide variety of issues.

 
Is there a point to your post neil or are you just trying to stir the pot?
 
I guess my point is that he said he wouldn't be a lobbyist, but is employed by(/affiliated with/connected to/whatever you want to call it) a law firm that provides lobbying services.  General Hillier is not, to the best of my knowledge, an attorney.  So what else could he do for that firm?

If Jack Layton did something like that, many on this board would be very quick to point it out.  I was surprised to see no comment on this thread since the summer.
 
Gowlings, like a  good many Canadian firms, can use some objective,honest, goal minded leadership for a change. Since Jack Layton has no enterprise leadership experience [he rules by party constitution], he's an occupier of space on a political org chart, but certainly not a leader of objectively honest, purposeful people. 
 
whiskey601 said:
Gowlings, like a  good many Canadian firms, can use some objective,honest, goal minded leadership for a change. Since Jack Layton has no enterprise leadership experience [he rules by party constitution], he's an occupier of space on a political org chart, but certainly not a leader of objectively honest, purposeful people. 


some objective,honest, goal minded leadership that has no knowledge of or training in their core area of business, the practice of law.  I don't think many military members would be pleased to hear that "some objective,honest, goal minded leadership" from the legal field was being brought in to the CF.  A law firm that lobbies the government on behalf of private enterprise is aquiring intimate knowledge of the DND requirements and procurement process and the connections to those currently in charge of it when they hire a recently retired general.  I can't comment on what the general is willing to do for them, but certainly he was intelligent enough to know that this is what was expected of him when he was hired.

I didn't mean Jack Layton being in this exact same situation, I meant if Jack Layton appeared to have gone back on his word as the general seems to have done.
 
FFnA, just what are you trying to say here?

I think, you are possibly trying to paint Gen rtd Hillier as a hypocrite. You then attempt to justify this aspersion by providing a comparison to Mr Jack Layton's possible actions.

I just don't get it. Please bring up some logical point or back away from the drive by mud slinging.

 
FFA
General Hillier retired from the CF last summer after a wonderful/great run as CDS
The CF is a whole lot richer for his having been at the lead.

It has been announced that he is / will become the vice chancelor of Memorial University of Newfoundland
It has been announced that he is / will become a motivational speaker associated to the TD Bank
.... so it's announced that he is associating his name with Gowlings... that's nice.  Unless you can point out what he is doing wrong, might I suggest that you "cease fire" & hold your fire - until such time as he does something wrong & you can wag your finger at.

The man is no longer a member of the CF, the man was never a politician - give the fella a break
 
Fear said:
some objective,honest, goal minded leadership that has no knowledge of or training in their core area of business, the practice of law.  I 

While not trained as a lawyer, it is rare for any government official or senior military member to rise to the top without gaining some experience or knowledge of legal affairs, even if it is mainly layman's terms.   I sincerely doubt that the General lacks the ability to read and interpret legal text, or to read/interpret/apply the laws/legislation/stautes/acts/orders/policies he comes into contact with as part of a leadership role...

 
"... defence lobbyist...". That seems pretty specific to me, so unless you got a piece of paper that says he is lobbying for a newer better tank...

Even if he is working for a lobbyist company, you are barking up the exact wrong tree. Consider this tree to be somewhat regal, tall, mature. Deserving of far more respect then FFnF offered in his post here... I suspect I am not the only one that believes thusly.

Even if he did take up working as a defence lobbyist, or politics... He is a private citizen. Last I checked, private citizens are allowed to change their minds... Sometimes even allowed to change it frequently.

Are you suggesting that he should not be allowed to change his mind? Should we engage big brother? Mayhaps he engaged in thought-crime... Perhaps you should investigate FFnF.

EDIT TO ADD: Jack Layton is NOT a private person. He is in the service of the Queen as a representative in our House of Parliament.
 
Jed said:
FFnA, just what are you trying to say here?

I think, you are possibly trying to paint Gen rtd Hillier as a hypocrite. You then attempt to justify this aspersion by providing a comparison to Mr Jack Layton's possible actions.

I just don't get it. Please bring up some logical point or back away from the drive by mud slinging.

I never compared the General to Layton.  I was comparing the response by posters here to similar actions if they were taken by both men.  I think that there is a lot of group think and blind following that goes on here for a board where many posters claim to base their opinions on facts and the analysis of those facts.  I think Hillier was an excellent CDS, an excellent soldier, and served Canada honorably for many years.  I think it is fine for retired bureaucrats to go into lobbying/consulting/speaking for pay/whatever they want to do.  It is a free country.  I am disappointed that  General Hillier seems to have changed his tune regarding the profession of lobbying.  I recall him saying that lobbyists were to blame for a lot of the procurement problems that faced the CF during his tenure.  Many of his changes to the procurement process seemed to attempt to bypass them all together.

FACT- Hillier said he wouldn't become a lobbyist
FACT- Hillier now works for a lobbying firm(in some capacity)

It is annoying to see a man that I admire so much for his straight talk and low B.S. content start to play the game that he seemed to stand against.  Maybe he isn't technically called a lobbyist.  Maybe he is an independent contract facilitator, or a government procurement analyst.  Whatever you want to call it, he is now doing the work of those he spoke against while in uniform.  I think he has the right to do whatever he wants.  It just makes me sad to think that the last straight shooter in Canadian leadership may have started down the slippery slope of spin and half truths.  (Not lies.  I am NOT calling him a liar.)

I thought that there would have been someone taking notice of it here.  The posters on this board, who I respect because of their heated debates and analysis of the things that most others let slide, didn't say boo about this.  It is one thing to respect a man for the way he conducts himself, it is another never to even question him because of that respect.
 
Back
Top