Close X
Sunday, November 24, 2024
ADVT 
National

Misconduct crisis hurting recruitment: Anand

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Nov, 2021 04:31 PM
  • Misconduct crisis hurting recruitment: Anand

HALIFAX - The sexual misconduct crisis afflicting Canada's military is hurting recruitment and morale in the ranks, Anita Anand said Friday as she used one of her first public addresses as Canada's new defence minister to lay out her priorities for the position.

Top of that list was what Anand described as significant and lasting change to the Canadian military's culture as the Armed Forces faces a crisis of confidence following complaints of inappropriate and in some cases criminal sexual behaviour involving senior officers.

It was in this context that Anand, who took over as defence minister last month from Harjit Sajjan, who was criticized for not doing more to address such behaviour among the top brass, noted the damage wrought on the military — and why culture change is her primary concern.

"This crisis is hurting morale and recruitment in the Canadian Armed Forces," she said in an address to Canadian and foreign delegates during the opening of the annual Halifax International Security Forum, which runs through the weekend.

"And I believe that in order for our military to be effective, our troops must feel safe, they must feel protected, and they must feel respected wherever they are, whatever they are doing."

Anand's speech came just under a month after she was named defence minister, becoming only the second woman take over the position after Kim Campbell held it for six months in 1993.

It also came two weeks after Anand announced she had accepted retired Supreme Court judge Louise Arbour's recent call to transfer the investigation and prosecution of military sexual misconduct cases to civilian authorities.

The minister reiterated her decision on Friday, saying the move "demonstrates that we are serious." 

"I am serious and committed to transparent institutions free from conflicts of interest," she said, before adding: "This is a first step There's no quick fix that will make these problems go away overnight."

Among those in attendance in Halifax was Gen. Wayne Eyre, the former Canadian Army commander who has been serving as acting chief of the defence staff since February, when Adm. Art McDonald stepped down due to a military police investigation into his own conduct.

McDonald has since called for the government to reinstate him after military police opted not to charge him, but the government instead put him on administrative leave and promoted Eyre. A decision on who will serve as permanent defence chief is expected soon. 

While Anand spent the first part of her address focusing on sexual misconduct in the ranks, she later went out of her way to underscore the important work that the Canadian military has been doing even as the current crisis has been raging.

That included contributing hundreds of troops to long-term care facilities early in the COVID-19 pandemic, helping distribute vaccines in dozens of remote communities, and responding to more than a dozen natural disasters over the past two years.

The most recent is this week's disastrous flooding in B.C., where the first of what will likely end up being hundreds of troops have started to arrive from Edmonton to help with evacuations, sandbagging and other emergency tasks.

Anand also underscored the role Canadian troops are playing overseas, including in the Asia-Pacific region, where she noted Canadian warships have maintained a "solid presence," which includes several traverses of the Taiwan Strait.

While much of the world considers the 180-kilometre strait to be international waters, Beijing claims ownership of the strait separating mainland China from Taiwan and has repeatedly condemned such passages by warships from the U.S., Canada and elsewhere as illegal.

Anand also recommitted to the Liberal government's defence strategy, which was released in 2017 and includes a plan to dramatically increase military spending over the next 20 years to expand the size of the Armed Forces and purchase new equipment.

There have been some concerns in military circles that the government could scale back that planned spending if and when it starts looking for ways to cut the federal deficit, which has soared to record highs during the pandemic.

MORE National ARTICLES

Canadians say Facebook harms mental health: poll

Canadians say Facebook harms mental health: poll
The vast majority also agreed that Facebook amplifies hate speech, helps spread fake news, damages individuals' mental health and poses a risk to children and teenagers.

Canadians say Facebook harms mental health: poll

Sarnia mayor welcomes U.S. land border reopening

Sarnia mayor welcomes U.S. land border reopening
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said Wednesday that he believes Canadians will be cautious about driving south for day trips given that some parts of the U.S. have looser public health measures and higher COVID-19 case counts — a concern he said also emerged when Canada eased its border restrictions for Americans earlier this year.

Sarnia mayor welcomes U.S. land border reopening

Canada's antisemitism envoy to be permanent: PM

Canada's antisemitism envoy to be permanent: PM
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is making the announcement today in a virtual appearance at the Malmö International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism.

Canada's antisemitism envoy to be permanent: PM

West Fraser to buy U.S. sawmill for US$300 million

West Fraser to buy U.S. sawmill for US$300 million
The purchase from Angelina Forest Products will be funded with cash on hand and is expected to close after receiving U.S. regulatory approvals. The Vancouver-based company will provide further details about the transaction during its third-quarter earnings call on Oct. 28.

West Fraser to buy U.S. sawmill for US$300 million

Former homeless site in Vancouver open to public

Former homeless site in Vancouver open to public
The east side of the park was closed in May to allow remediation work after hundreds of campers were moved to indoor housing. The campers moved to Strathcona after being forced out of two other city parks.

Former homeless site in Vancouver open to public

Trudeau joins G20 in pushing Taliban to allow aid

Trudeau joins G20 in pushing Taliban to allow aid
During a virtual summit, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his fellow G20 leaders discussed the crisis in Afghanistan created by the Taliban rout of Kabul's Western-backed government.    

Trudeau joins G20 in pushing Taliban to allow aid