National security adviser at centre of furor over PM’s India trip retiring soon
OTTAWA — Justin Trudeau’s national security adviser is on the verge of retirement — although insiders insist it has nothing to do with the controversy over his suggestion that factions in India’s government sabotaged the prime minister’s trip there in February.
Daniel Jean notified the government in January — well before the furor erupted — of his intention to retire, said one source familiar with the matter. Another insider echoed the notion that Jean’s plan to leave predates the current controversy.
Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
A spokesman for the Privy Council Office, the bureaucracy that serves the Prime Minister’s Office, would not confirm or deny Jean’s impending retirement, saying PCO does not talk publicly about personnel matters.