Evidence of meeting #118 for National Defence in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cases.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Founder, It's Just 700
There are current cases right now, as well, where people are defending their rights to have it done in a civilian.... I think guidance would help.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
What I'm saying to you is that I totally know that in practice people don't realize there is any such alternative or that they have any way to get cases transferred.
You run across that quite regularly, then, I would say.
Founder, It's Just 700
Yes. I think I was a little surprised when I heard about that at the Senate, because I was speaking at the same time. I never was aware of that before he said it.
NDP
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
I'm not sure how we do that.
A lot of things you have talked about seem to me to be more directly related to resourcing the system in terms of training. If we insert things into the bill, let's say, that require more training but the military doesn't resource that training, I guess we'll end up in the same situation.
Founder, It's Just 700
Yes, but that's the thing. Oversight and accountability are really required in a place that is decentralized and covering such a massive place, especially when you delegate more responsibility to less-trained people and don't give clear definitions and procedures, which leads to a lot of interpretations.
If the choice is to decentralize more of these hearings, it can lessen the burden and focus on more severe cases on the higher.... That makes sense. However, procedures and training need to be done. This cannot just be done this way, and that needs to be looked at and...accountable for.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
I'm probably asking the wrong person here, as you'll have the same question as I do. I guess what I'm looking for is how we actually ensure the training exists and is delivered.
Founder, It's Just 700
Again, I think it would be better oversight, such as the OAG report, regularly, and having those kinds of things that happen, just to ensure that the training was done and done well and people understood. That's what would matter, I guess.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
When you're saying “better oversight”, are you saying that...?
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Okay. You were reading my mind. It needs to be external. It can't be any of the internal mechanisms.
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
Right now where is that oversight really lodged? Could it be the military ombudsman or...?
Founder, It's Just 700
Well, the military ombudsman never really took that part, from what I have seen. There's never been a report that I've seen on that.
From what I have seen, within five years they had 32 cases of sexual harassment. That's before the Deschamps commission. Concerning the fact that there were 960 cases that came after a sexual assault, I'm just wondering if this is the right place. I tried a lot within my group to have a report done through them, and that never happened.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
You did try to get a report done through the military ombudsman.
Founder, It's Just 700
Yes, and we had calls, and that never happened. I don't know exactly what the obstacle is there. I don't know if he came here to look into the victims and make sure their rights were respected. I'm not so sure if the CAF ombudsman came, but that would probably have been a sign of somebody who would make sure victims' rights were looked into.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
They didn't give you a clear indication of why they didn't do a study from the military—
Founder, It's Just 700
No. Well, they said they needed to see it as a trend, and they didn't see that as a trend right now.
NDP
Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC
They didn't feel they had any statutory limitation that would have...or lack of power. They said it was more—
Founder, It's Just 700
Also, their role was not to advocate. It was just to make sure the processes in place were respected, so they were not going to go above that.
NDP
