QUESTION PERIOD — National Defence
Minister of National Defence
June 29, 2021
My question is for Senator Gold.
As you know, Senator Gold, I have raised the subject of the catastrophic management of the military sexual misconduct file by the Minister of National Defence, Harjit Sajjan, and the Prime Minister eight times since March 16. Weeks and months have gone by, and you still haven’t given me a clear answer about concrete measures the Trudeau government plans to implement, other than hiring yet another judge to produce yet another report that may not even be tabled for another two years.
I would like to read two excerpts from an article in this morning’s National Post that speak volumes about this scandal:
The concept of ministerial responsibility has been absent.
The National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces Ombudsman said that.
Here’s another excerpt from the article that I find even more troubling, and I quote:
That was a remarkably strong and clear message, aimed right at Sajjan. Lick —
— the military ombudsman —
— who said the misconduct scandal is turning into a tragedy for members of the armed forces, has directly told the public that Sajjan is an obstacle to doing better.
In light of all the questions I’ve been asking you for the past two or three months, all the public revelations of events that jeopardize the safety of the 16,000 women in the Armed Forces, a report that was never implemented, another report that will be only partially implemented and a Canadian Victims Bill of Rights that you have not implemented, should the Minister of National Defence not step down in order to protect these women and ensure their safety once and for all?
Thank you for your question. There are many issues, challenges and problems within the armed forces; the situation facing victims is deplorable and serious.
I can only repeat what I have already said several times. The government has taken concrete action — including the work I mentioned the last time you asked about this — to implement a process to create regulations for the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights.
Hiring Lieutenant-General Carignan, accepting the recommendations of the report by Justice Morris Fish and allocating funding in Budget 2021 are all important measures. The government will continue to work to make the structural and cultural changes needed within the Canadian Armed Forces to better protect the women and men who serve us.
Senator Gold, the Minister of National Defence is not only responsible for defending the country, he must also defend the 16,000 women working in the Armed Forces and, in particular, defend the rights of victims in the Armed Forces.
You gave an evasive answer once again. Those are measures that you may perhaps implement over time. However, my question was very concrete: What are you going to do in the coming months to ensure that victims of sexual assault in the Armed Forces can count on an independent complaints process?
More to the point, if your daughter, wife or cousin were in the Armed Forces and became a victim, would you accept this government’s passive attitude towards this file?
Thank you for your question. This government is not being passive. Many things are happening, including the implementation of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and the recommendations I mentioned. I fully understand the frustration and disappointment of the women who are victims of this unhealthy culture, but cultural and structural changes take time.
I do understand your question, but I can’t accept the premise that the government is doing nothing.
The government is doing what it has to do, and that is going to take time. Like all senators in this chamber, I hope its efforts will bear fruit.
