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Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin files court challenge of his firing from vaccine rollout

Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin is asking for a judicial review of the decision to remove him as head of Canada's vaccine logistics.
Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin

OTTAWA — Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin is asking for a judicial review of the decision to remove him as head of Canada's vaccine logistics, alleging political interference by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and two of his cabinet ministers.

Lawyers for Fortin filed an application Monday with the Federal Court, seeking an expedited judicial review of last month's decision to fire him from his posting with the Public Health Agency of Canada and to not reassign him.

It asks that the decision be quashed and that he be reinstated to his secondment at PHAC or assigned to another position "commensurate with his rank."

Fortin was removed from the vaccine rollout on May 14, just five days before the Canadian Forces National Investigation Service referred a sexual misconduct investigation to the Quebec prosecution service to determine whether criminal charges should be laid.

Through his lawyers, Fortin has denied any wrongdoing.

The court application says the decision to remove Fortin and not reassign him was unreasonable, lacked procedural fairness and involved "improper political interference in the military chain of command" by Trudeau, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Health Minister Patty Hajdu.

None of the allegations have been tested in court.

The application also says the announcement of his termination breached his right to keep his personal information private and fuelled public speculation without the appropriate context, causing irreparable harm to his reputation.

The Prime Minister's Office referred a request for comment Monday to the Department of National Defence.

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