Jason Kenney guarantees independent centre to handle military sexual misconduct
Defence Minister Jason Kenneysaid he guaranteesthecreation of an independent centre that wouldtake complaints about military sexual misconduct and provide support and expertise for victims.
Kenney was responding to an NDP question in the Commons Wednesday after a CBC News story revealed that weeks before the release of a report into sexual misconduct in the military,Canada's top general ordered military brass to planto effectively ignore key recommendations, including the creation of an independent centre.
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Kenneywas asked point blank by NDP defence critic Jack Harris whether hewould "guarantee that the Canadian Armed Forces will establish an independent body to handle sexual misconduct. Yes or no."
Kenneyresponded: "Yes."
CBC News obtained orders written by Gen. Tom Lawson, chief of the defence staff, to military brass in response to a draft report into sexual misconduct in the military by former Supreme Court justice MarieDeschamps.Deschamps' report found a misogynistic andsexualizedculture in the Canadian Forces, in which harassment and abuse are overlooked, under-reported and poorly understood.
One of her recommendationsincludedthe creation of an independent centre to take complaints and provide support and expertise. One of the "assumptions" in Lawson's directive stated that "current sexual misconduct investigation and justice system authorities will remain unchanged."
On Wednesday, Lawsonresponded to the CBC News story, saying it's false to conclude hisdirective, issued weeks before the final report was released, suggested he was ordering recommendationsbe ignored.
Not be 'viewed as restrictions'
"The directive I issued for this included planning assumptions, provided to Maj.-Gen. ChristineWhitecrossto guide her work," Lawson said in a statement."These planning assumptions should in no way be viewed as restrictions or orders for her to ignore the recommendations of the final report. Any such suggestion is quite simply false."
Whitecrossisthe general appointed by Lawson to lead the military's response team to the report.
"This Action Plan, as endorsed by our senior leadership and releasedpublicly, clearly accepts all of the recommendations made by MadameDeschamps, either outright or in principle," Lawson said.
As for the independent centre, Lawson said thatrecommendation has also been acceptedin principle, and thatWhitecrossis now actively examining differentmodels used in other countries"for what will be the best fit in Canada."
"We fully recognize the need to have a centre which is independent of undue influence from the chain of command."
Earlier, Opposition Leader TomMulcairsaid he was"very concerned" by revelations in the CBC News story.
ButMulcairalso suggested the attitude is in line with the "disgraceful" behaviour of the Conservative government, which he accused of rejecting eight of the recommendations in the external review.
"I'm very concerned about Gen. Lawson's attitude towards JusticeDeschamps' report," Mulcair, speaking in French,told reporters. "She made 10 very clear recommendations. [Defence Minister] JasonKenney, as you know, rejected eight of them, which I think is disgraceful "
'Military has to evolve'
"And I think even in the note from Gen. Lawson, he says they won't change anything, and that was before the report was made public. He was already ensuring that it would be business as usual. So I think the military has an obligation to follow the recommendations made by Justice Deschamps."
"Now, either the military has to evolve or something has to happen,"Mulcairsaid. "But they had decided that, whatever was in the report, they would continue to do the same thing as usual."
Deschamps made 10 recommendations in her report.Lawson accepted two outright and eight "in principle." Mulcair has repeatedly accused the government of ignoring those eight recommendations.
But a statement fromKenney'soffice earlier Wednesday said Lawsonhas "accepted the recommendations from the Deschamps report and is acting on them."
It added thatWhitecross"was clear that she feels no limitations in her work.
"The Canadian Armed Forces are looking at how to best implement all 10 of the report's recommendations and the minister supports this effort," the statement says.
Lawson's orders also seem to rule outDeschamps's recommendation to have civilian police handle an entire investigation, if the victim chooses.
However, Justice MinisterPeter MacKay, a former defence minister, suggested Wednesday hesupportsthat recommendation.
"I personally think, and I encourageI spoke to the [military's] Judge Advocate General yesterday that there should be perhaps a protocol or perhaps a consultation that takes place between Crown prosecutors and military justice system."
"I justthink there's an opportunity there for greater collaboration in some cases between our military justice system when the behaviour crosses that line."
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