Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The discussion appears to be well under way. We have with us two former members of the military who hold very different views. We will try and draw on both sides of the argument to come up with the best possible bill.
I'll start with you, Mr. Holloway. I admire those who have the courage to say that once a person joins the Canadian Forces, he no longer has the same rights as others. I agree with you in part, because most NATO member countries see a major difference between civilian and military justice. I can appreciate that there is a difference, but just how far does it extend? I disagree with you on this point. As I see it, there are two major issues here. There are summary proceedings, for which there are no transcripts, where decisions are not based on evidence, but rather on hearsay. Sometimes, a soldier faces a commander against whom he has filed a grievance. Having worked for 20 years in labour relations, I do not think that makes a lot of sense.
I also note that you are the dean of the Faculty of Law and a professor at the University of Western Ontario. Do you not think there would be a revolution in Canada if we were to apply all military rules to civilian society?