Defence Minister Anita Anand says she is preparing the military to act quickly on retired Supreme Court justice Louise Arbour’s recommendations for eliminating sexual misconduct from the ranks.
The Liberal government tapped Arbour last April to lead a detailed review and come up with better ways to address sexual assault, harassment and other misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, Anand says she expects Arbour’s final report in the spring, and that she is laying the groundwork for the military to spring into action the moment it lands.
That includes making sure chief of the defence staff Gen. Wayne Eyre and other senior military and Defence Department officials are all on the same page when it comes to the importance of reform.
Anand says she is also preparing the military for more independent oversight and accountability, if that is what Arbour recommends.
Yet while many victims and experts say such oversight and accountability is the only way to ensure true change in the Armed Forces, Anand says she will not make any decisions until she sees Arbour’s final report.
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