Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by saying that I will be sharing my time with my hon. colleague, the member for Laurentides—Labelle.
Today, we are talking about Bill C-11, the military justice system modernization act. This is an issue that I have been following since the beginning of my first term. As the Bloc Québécois critic for the status of women, I have had to take a stand on this issue and study it at not one but two committees, namely the Standing Committee on the Status of Women and the Standing Committee on National Defence, which is why this reform is so important to me.
I will begin with a bit of background. Next, I will address the issue of women in the Canadian Armed Forces and the fact that they are victims of a closed system. I will then talk about the Liberals' inaction and the Conservatives' silence. I will also address the Bloc Québécois's position, and I will close with a few statistics.
Bill C‑11 seeks to modernize the military justice system and remove the military's jurisdiction over sexual offences committed in Canada. This is a direct response to the 2022 Arbour report and the 2021 Fish report, which were released after decades of sexual misconduct scandals in the Canadian Armed Forces. Justice Arbour called out the military's culture of sexism and silence, where women were afraid to come forward.
The Bloc Québécois will support the principle of Bill C‑11 so that it can be studied in committee, but we denounce the past inaction of Liberal and Conservative governments. We are looking forward to a more in-depth study of this bill because our goal is ultimately to ensure that justice is independent, credible and sensitive to the realities of victims. This topic was the subject of two studies at the Standing Committee on National Defence, where I witnessed Liberal filibustering that was quite striking. At the time, I was replacing my colleague, the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères. This situation led to this file being submitted to the Standing Committee on the Status of Women for a study in hopes that the less partisan spirit of this committee would lead to the creation of a report, while everything was at a standstill at the Standing Committee on National Defence.
Since the Deschamps report in 2015, all reports have pointed to the same culture of misogyny and impunity. Some have even drawn parallels with the #MeToo movement of victims speaking out. Mr. Vance, Mr. McDonald, Mr. Sajjan and Mr. Trudeau are concrete examples of political leaders failing to bring about real cultural change in the armed forces. Despite the announcements and Operation Honour, victims continued to be betrayed by the chain of command. Ironically, in July 2015, despite the allegations against Vance, he was appointed chief of the defence staff and put in charge of this operation. That is just insane. The Bloc Québécois maintains that no credible reform can be achieved without an independent military justice system. That is the main idea we heard during the two studies.
Women in the armed forces have been the victims of a closed system. Jonathan Vance is the symbol of this contradiction: He was leading the fight against sexual misconduct while being accused of it himself. Victims feared repercussions on their careers, and investigations were often biased or hushed up. That is what we heard from witnesses. What is changing with Bill C‑11 is that sexual crimes are being transferred to civilian courts. This is a major step forward. It will end the conflicts of interest, as investigations will be conducted by civilian police. The bill provides for the independent appointment of key military justice actors, such as the provost marshal, the director of military prosecutions, and the director of defence counsel services. It also provides for the introduction of a liaison officer for victims, ensuring more compassionate support. Finally, it ensures that provisions on criminal offences and publication bans align with the Criminal Code.
However, women are still waiting for meaningful culture change, which includes respect, listening and transparency. They want mandatory training for civilian prosecutors on military realities and trauma. They are waiting for stable and predictable funding for victim services. They also want rigorous monitoring of the implementation of the Arbour report.
Madam Arbour said she was surprised when she was contacted and responded that she thought the work had already been done with the previous report. She finally tabled her own report in May 2022.
I would now like to address the Conservatives' silence and the Liberals' inaction. As I said earlier, the Conservatives appointed Mr. Vance, despite the allegations that had already been made against him. The Liberals were warned by their ombudsman, and they refused to intervene for years. In 2019, they even raised Mr. Vance's salary retroactively to 2018. The government finally took action, but only after pressure from the media and the public, particularly following a Global News article in February 2021.
In the meantime, women saw their careers destroyed, their mental health compromised and their trust broken. I remember the testimony of Stéphanie Raymond, a former CAF master corporal, who was so courageous throughout this whole affair. She appeared before the committee and shared her terrible ordeal.
The Bloc Québécois supports the principle of Bill C‑11 at second reading. However, the Bloc Québécois is demanding that justice be independent and transparent. We also want a feminist and inclusive approach to implementation, as well as collaboration with Quebec and the provinces and territories in order to align services. This is important. We often say that, while it is good to identify the situation and have a Criminal Code, the implementation of everything that has to do with the justice system is the jurisdiction of Quebec and the provinces and territories. This is important to keep in mind. We must fight against sexual violence by listening and being respectful and fair. Quebec and the provinces are responsible for providing appropriate psychological and social support and social services for victims.
We must also be conscious of intersectional realities. Women, LGBTQ communities, indigenous people and people with disabilities often do not share the same circumstances. At the end of the day, what the Bloc Québécois wants is culture change. There is no other way to tackle an issue as serious as a culture of misogyny and toxic masculinity. The Bloc Québécois called for a complete culture change in sport, and we are doing the same thing now for the armed forces, because women deserve to feel safe in that space.
I have a number of statistics to share about sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces: 7.5% of women in the regular force were sexually assaulted in 2022, compared to 2.8% of men; 27.3% of women reported being sexually assaulted at least once in their military career; 64% of victims did not report the incident to an authority; 41% said they did not speak up because they feared retaliation, and others were convinced that it would not make any difference. About 86% of assaults occurred in the military workplace. In 2017-18, disciplinary action for sexual harassment was taken in only 20 cases, which is paltry.
Intersectional data is also available for LGBTQ+ communities. I would like to mention that some non-heterosexual military members report higher rates of assault and that 67% of members have witnessed discriminatory or sexualized behaviour, often related to gender or sexual identity. The LGBT purge left a dismal legacy: From 1950 to 1990, hundreds of soldiers and police officers were fired for their sexual orientation. I want to thank the members of the Fondation Émergence who came to my office here in Ottawa and filled me in on this sad story. I also want to acknowledge Martine Roy, an activist and former member of the armed forces. She said that the military justice system needs to be improved to make it fair and reliable, to strengthen support for victims, which is essential, and to give civilian authorities the jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute Criminal Code sexual offences committed in Canada. These are all important messages.
In closing, here are some more important facts: 19% of military personnel were exposed to sexualized or discriminatory behaviour in the previous year, 34% of them being women. The reported rate of assault has increased since 2016, rising from 1.7% to 3.5% in 2022. Only 21% of victims reported the incidents, down from 2018. Sixty-one per cent agree that sexual misconduct remains a major problem. Young people, indigenous women, people with disabilities and LGBTQ members are the most at risk.
