Smith’s ‘border czar’ pitch gets nod from ex-military leaders

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OTTAWA — Two of Canada’s most prominent ex-military officers say they like Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s idea of putting a retired military general in charge of Canada’s southern border with the United States.

Canada’s former top general, Rick Hillier, said that naming a federal border czar would improve coordination and send the right message to the U.S.

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“I think focusing our approach to the border challenges, instead of continuing with the vastly disparate and uncoordinated things now occurring, would be a wonderful thing, no matter who’s put in charge,” Hillier told the National Post in an email.

“It, in itself, would be a powerful sign to our U.S. ally.”

Smith called on Wednesday for the federal government to appoint a Canadian border czar to work with Trump appointee Tom Homan to clamp down on fentanyl trafficking and illegal border crossings, adding that an ex-general would be the ideal candidate.

“We need someone who understands military operations, who understands deployment, who understands the seriousness with which we have to take this issue,” said Smith

Smith suggested senior Alberta public servant and ex-military officer Paul Wynnyk for the role.

She also called this week for a joint Canada-U.S. Norad base in Canada’s north to boost Arctic security.

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Andrew Leslie, a retired lieutenant general and ex-Liberal MP, said that he agrees with Smith’s assessment of the practical skills and hands-on experience a Canadian border czar would need to bring to the table.

“Say you’re having stomach pains and decide you need to go to the hospital, who would you want to see first when you get there?” said Leslie.

“I’d personally want to see a doctor or nurse, not the hospital administrator.”

“I think the idea of having a general or military figure as the border czar is a very good one,” said Leslie.

Leslie, who was in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s caucus from 2015 to 2019, before choosing not to run for a second term, said that the Trudeau government’s sidelining of the military is at the root of both mounting public safety challenges, including at the border, and frictions with the U.S. administration.

“They don’t understand the utility of force or… of military organizations,” said Leslie. “Which is why we’re in such a disastrous state, vis-a-vis the Armed Forces, and with our reputation with President (Donald) Trump and his team.”

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Trump has criticized Canada for its paltry defence spending, which currently falls well below the NATO target of two per cent of GDP.

Leslie also said he was a big fan of Wynnyk’s

“I’ve known General Wynnyk for a very long time,” said Leslie. “We were in the same brigade together, same division… he’s worked under me.”

“He’d be a superb choice… I can think of nobody more qualified in Canada to secure the border.”

Rarely used in Canada, the term “czar” is an informal title given to some high-level political appointees in the U.S., typically those given a broad set of powers over a specific issue.

Homan, an ex-border agent and media pundit known for his tough talk on immigration, was tapped by Trump in November to carry out the biggest deportation effort in U.S. history, potentially involving the removal of millions of undocumented immigrants.

Homan will reportedly work directly from the White House, although there’s still confusion about his role and official job title.

Here in Canada, Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc has thus far handled issues relating to the border, including a $1.3-billion plan to beef up border security.

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National Post, with additional reporting from The Canadian Press
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