Defence minister vows action on military sexual misconduct, but understands skepticism

Defence Minister Anita Anand says she’s committed to ensuring sexual misconduct and discrimination are finally uprooted from within the Canadian military, despite public skepticism that this time will be different.

Speaking to Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block Sunday, Anand said her ministry has “hit the ground running” to act on the 48 recommendations in former Supreme Court of Canada justice Louise Arbour’s blistering report released last Monday, which called the Canadian Forces a “liability” for the country.

The report laid the responsibility for ensuring change occurs at the feet of the federal government, which has faced past reports on the issue of entrenched sexual misconduct and abuse of power in the military’s top ranks.

“I totally understand the skepticism” that things will change this time, Anand said. “All I can say is you will see the progress as this year unfolds.

“I believe this is a key moment for the Canadian military.”

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Global News first brought to light allegations in February 2021 of sexual misconduct against senior leaders in the Canadian Forces — the first of dozens of exclusive reports into such allegations and the military’s handling of them over the past 18 months.

Those revelations and the courage of survivors and victims who spoke out spurred a political and societal reckoning that remains underway.

In her 403-page report, Arbour describes an institution that is fundamentally out of sync with the values of Canadian society. With the military facing what experts call an existential crisis, Arbour said change is essential but will require the political will to act.

Anand said Monday when the report was released that she will appoint an independent official to oversee the implementation of recommendations. Ottawa has already begun work on 17 of the recommendations, she added.

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The minister on Sunday committed to reporting to Parliament before the end of the year on how the government will implement the rest of the recommendations, which she says require further analysis and consultation.

She insisted that analysis isn’t meant to delay action.

“The analysis is for the officials in my department to present the roadmap forward for implementing the recommendations, not ‘analysis’ writ large,” she said.

“It is very, very important to me in terms of the mandate that I have been given from the prime minister, in terms of living up to the spirit and the content of the Arbour report for us to move forward quickly. And that is exactly what we will do.”

Arbour on Monday called the report to Parliament by year’s end one of the most important recommendations to come out of the report.

Anand added she has already had “multiple meetings and conversations” in the days since the report’s released on how the recommendations will be implemented.

Chief among Arbour’s recommendations is ensuring sexual offenses are handled independently within the civilian criminal court system, rather than within the Canadian Forces. She issued an interim recommendation in the fall that sexual misconduct cases be handled by civilian authorities until a new system is in place.

Anand implemented that recommendation, but there remain dozens of cases that are not being transferred because they are close to completion within the military system.

The head of the military police said Friday that although work has begun on transferring cases to civilian police forces, some forces are “not ready” to take the additional cases.

Anand said she is awaiting a roadmap from her department to be presented to her on that specific recommendation.

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She added she considers it her responsibility to put in place the necessary institutional structures that lead to cultural change within the military, calling it her top priority.

“This is the moment that we need to address the very serious issues laid out in the Arbour report and the reports before that, because … we have a moral imperative as well as an operational imperative,” she said.

“The efficacy of our armed forces, the ability for us to grow and continue to defend our country and engage in operations nationally and internationally, depends on us getting this right. And that is why it is so important to me personally as well as to our government.”

Anand also reacted Sunday to reports that Chinese fighter jet pilots have repeatedly “buzzed” a Canadian surveillance plane overseeing the enforcement of United Nations sanctions on North Korea in the Asia-Pacific region.

Multiple sources told Global News last week that the jets were flying so close that the Canadians could make eye contact with the Chinese pilots, and were forced to quickly alter their flight paths to avoid a mid-air collision.

“This is an extremely serious and concerning situation,” Anand said.

“We will always stand up for the safety of our aircrews. Chinese aircraft must maintain a professional distance from (Canadian) aircraft flying in a UN-sanctioned mission in international airspace. Period.”

Anand said the government will continue to address the concerns with Beijing through diplomatic channels — despite repeated diplomatic reprimands going unanswered and not stopping the dangerous interactions.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said Friday that she plans to raise the issue with the UN Security Council and with her Chinese counterpart.

—With files from Amanda Connolly and Aaron D’Andrea