Lee Berthiaume
Reporter for The Canadian Press
About Lee Berthiaume
Justice Department defends blacking out clerk's memo to Trudeau about Norman
The federal government is defending its refusal to disclose the contents of a 60-page memo the country's top bureaucrat sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about Vice-Admiral Mark Norman.
Canadian peacekeepers evacuated injured French counter-terror troops in Mali
Canadian peacekeepers were called upon to evacuate several wounded French soldiers in Mali earlier this month after their patrol was ambushed while hunting for militants along the border with Niger.
Liberals promise billions for dairy, chicken farmers affected by trade deals
The Trudeau government is promising billions of dollars to compensate dairy, egg and poultry farmers hurt by Canada's recent free-trade agreements — industries concentrated in vote-rich Quebec and Ontario.
Vice-Admiral Norman's lawyer blasts Justice Dept for 'inaccurate' statements
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer Marie Henein has called out Justice Canada for making what she says are "inaccurate" public statements about her client's high-profile case while conceding a delay in her attempts to get it tossed.
Ombudsman flags gaps in bill of rights for victims of military crimes
The federal victims' ombudsman says there are worrying gaps in proposed legislation around victims' rights in the military justice system — and that fixing them could make the system a shining example for the rest of the country.
Nearly 40,000 veterans waiting for disability benefits as backlog keeps growing
Despite repeated promises to fix the mess, the number of veterans waiting to find out whether they qualify for disability benefits has continued to grow, and there are fears the turmoil will only worsen in the coming weeks.
Special forces looks at recruiting off the street amid shifting demands
The Canadian Forces are considering whether to recruit elite special-forces soldiers straight off the street rather than forcing them to follow the traditional route of first spending several years in the military.
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer threatens to call Butts, Wernick to stand
Vice-Admiral Mark Norman's lawyer is threatening to call Gerald Butts and Privy Council clerk Michael Wernick to testify in open court if they don't produce a series of documents that she says are essential to defend her client.
Official charged in shipbuilding contract leak to plead not guilty, lawyer says
The second public official accused of leaking cabinet secrets about a $700-million naval contract intends to fight the charge, according to his lawyer.