While tagged for many years as a future chief of defence, one thing led to another and Lieutant-General Andrew Leslie has decided to leave the Canadian Forces instead of seeking out a posting as the country’s top soldier.

Apparently, however, Leslie didn’t want to leave without taking one last shot at transforming the CF. In a report which was leaked to the press a few weeks ago, Leslie recommended a series of cuts to DND that would save about $1 billion dollars and lead to thousands of  job changes.

“If we are serious about the future – and we must be – the impact of reallocating thousands of people and billions of dollars from what they are doing now to what we want them to do …will require some dramatic changes,” Leslie wrote in the report.

Not everyone agreed with the report.

Most notably, former CDS Rick Hillier emerged to note that Leslie’s suggestions were not practical.

“You try to implement that report as it is and you destroy the Canadian military,” Hillier told CTV’s Power Play last week. “You simply can’t take that many people out of command and control functions…

“There are some areas where you can do some cuts and the Canadian Forces will have to pay a price, but to implement that report would not be wise,” Hillier said. “If you take a billion dollars out, you will lessen military operational capability.”

The jury’s still out on what the government will do with the report and whether any of its recommendations will be heeded.

In any event, as always, it’s probably better to read the thing for yourself, it’s available here.