FEWO Committee Report

Supplementary Report from the Conservative Party of Canada

Supporting Survivors of Abuse in the Canadian Armed Forces

An Integral Role

It is the belief of the Conservative Party of Canada that the participation of women in the Canadian Armed Forces is of great importance to Canadian society. Women have much to offer. As BGen Virginia Tattersal said during the committee hearing, “Why do women join the military? For the same reasons as men; the chance to serve their country, to have a respected, challenging and rewarding profession with good pay and benefits, and friendships that last a lifetime.”[1]

The Conservative Party of Canada believes that women should be respected in their choice to serve Canada, that their autonomy must be valued, and their freedom must be protected.  

Over the 100+ years that women have been a part of the Canadian military, they have offered critical and unique contributions that have enhanced the capacity of the Armed Forces. The number of women in uniform who have served Canada has fluctuated over the years, but their presence continually enhances and improves Canada’s military.

As one witness said, “Diversity and inclusiveness is about ensuring that all members feel welcome in our organization. It is imperative for the Canadian Armed Forces to foster a culture based on trust, respect and dignity for everyone.” [2]

Those who serve in the Canadian Armed Forces make great sacrifices to serve our country and deserve the very best from their government in recognition of their service.

Liberal Failures

When self-proclaimed “feminist” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was elected in 2015, he made many promises to financially support and improve working conditions for female members of the Canadian Armed Forces. These promises included, but are not limited to:

• Protect[ing] the well-being of Canadian Armed Forces members while in service, including a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment, adequate mental health support services, and high-quality career counselling and support;[3]
• Ensur[ing] that no veteran has to fight the government for the support and compensation they have earned;[4]
• Achiev[ing] the goal of one in four members [of the Canadian Armed Forces] being women.[5]

The testimony provided by numerous witnesses reveals the Liberal’s commitments were nothing more than empty election promises.  

The Hon. Harjit Saijan, Minister of National Defence, said in February of 2018:

“Inappropriate sexual behaviour of any kind is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated in the Canadian Armed Forces. Every person who willingly serves their country deserves to have a professional environment to be able to grow and serve. We have more work to do, and we are going to get it done.”[6]

However, the Liberals have failed to address the problems within Operation Honour and have failed to implement the recommendations from both the Marie DesChamps report and the Office of the Auditor General report on sexual misconduct in the Canadian Military. The Statistics Canada report that was released in May 2019 proves the Liberal’s failure to implement these recommendations is negatively affecting members of the Canadian Armed Forces. [7]

One specific case that should be highlighted is that of Laura Nash, as Ms. Nash was treated unfairly and forced to choose between her family and her job within the military. When the Prime Minister became aware of Ms. Nash’s case, he said:  

“It's very simple: The choice Laura had to make is not acceptable. It is not acceptable in Canada. This is a very difficult situation for Laura, but we also know it's one that has to end. It's not the first time, I can only imagine, in the history of the Canadian military [that] this has happened, but I certainly hope it will be one of the very last times.”[8]

Natalie MacDonald, Ms. Nash’s lawyer, explained to the Committee that:

“I wrote in September 2017 following the segment on The National that we had both appeared in, to advise him that I wanted to refresh his memory as to Ms. Nash and what she had done. I asked specifically for his assistance in bringing the matter to a resolution, because we were stuck in limbo with the Canadian Human Rights Commission. We hadn't been able to get anywhere, as Ms. Nash and I have referenced. I needed some help. I needed someone to be able to do something, and I'd hoped that Prime Minister Trudeau would be that person. Unfortunately, we didn't hear back from him or his office.” [9]

Clearly, as much as the Prime Minister “hope[s] [that what happened] will be one of the very last times” [10], neither he, nor his staff members are willing to do anything concrete to ensure this result.

Additionally, the Liberal Party has affirmed the Chief of Defence Staff’s commitment to increase female representation in the CAF to one in four by 2025, which requires an increase of 1% per year.[11] Current statistics, issued by the Government of Canada in March of 2019, indicate the Canadian Armed Force’s representation of women is at 15.7 percent.⁴ Furthermore, there was only a four-percent increase in female enrollment to the Canadian Armed Forces in the four years since Prime Minister Trudeau took office.

A fundamental change is needed within the Canadian Military to ensure the success and safety of its female members. The previous Conservative government was committed to making real change for women within the Department of National Defence, whereas the current Liberal government has done nothing more than make empty promises with no substantive attempts to make changes.

Recommendations

The Conservative members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women wish to draw special attention to a number of points made by witnesses who presented to the Committee.

Based on testimony provided, the Conservative members offer the following recommendations:

Rebranding

1. That the Government of Canada rebrand and market the Canadian Armed Forces to accurately reflect its modern-day function and practice. [12]

Definition

2. That the Government of Canada ensure the definition of sexual assault used by Canadian Armed Forces is applied uniformly and consistently throughout the organization. [13]

Victim-Centred Approach

3. That the Government of Canada ensure a victim-centred approach to victims of crime in the Canadian Armed Forces. [14], [15]

Amending the Canadian Human Rights Act

4. That the Government of Canada ensure the Canadian Armed Forces grievance process has appropriate checks and balances, that grievances filed by members of the Canadian Armed Forces are addressed within a defined timeframe, and that additional measures for accountability are instituted. [16]

Funding Allowance

5. That the Government of Canada streamline support services for members of the Canadian Armed Forces transitioning to post-service life from active duty by designating one point of accountability and communication to manage the transitioning member’s file.

External Review Board

6. That the Government of Canada create an external review board to increase accountability within the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre with regards to providing support to victims of sexual harassment.

Reporting

7. That the Government of Canada examine ways to mitigate situations where victims of sexual misconduct are reporting their abuse to the perpetrator by creating an alternative reporting mechanism that enables victims of sexual assault or harassment to find recourse outside their chain of command.

Training

8. That the Government of Canada examine ways the Canadian Armed Forces can enhance education and awareness among members on issues of sexual misconduct including the legal consequences of such conduct.