One of Canada's most senior naval officers has been suspended following revelations that he enjoyed a soft-porn website on his navy laptop.

Remarkably, Lehre is the victim of his own honesty. The offence only came to light when he declared that it would be inappropriate for himself to participate in a court martial of a sailor charged with misuse of a Navy computer.

Colleagues have rushed to defend the Commodore, both on the grounds on his self-incrimination, and, more pertinently, that he hasn't really done very much wrong.

It remains to be seen what effect such political correctness will have on Canada's naval defence readiness. The replacement of rum, sodomy and the lash with mint tea, macrame and rehab is a slippery slope to military oblivion.

Suspended Commodore Lerhe may have been, but you can still catch up on his illustrious career on Canada's Maritime Forces Pacific website. His bedtime reading preferences are not noted. ®