National Defence Committee on Sept. 29th, 2016

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Welcome, everybody.

Hopefully the others will show up here shortly.

Today we have Lieutenant-General Christine Whitecross and Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett to give us an update on sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces. Thank you very much for coming on short notice to appear before the committee today.

I understand there have been a couple of updates since the Deschamps report of 2015, one very recently, in August.

Before I give you the floor, General Whitecross, I'll say to the committee that I'm going to save 10 minutes at the end for committee business. We'll have testimony, questions, and then committee business.

General Whitecross, you have the floor.

[Lieutenant-General Christine Whitecross, Commander, Military Personnel Command, Department of National Defence]

Mr. Chair, committee members, thank you for this invitation to appear before the Committee on National Defence and update you on the Canadian armed forces' response to the problem of harmful and inappropriate sexual behaviour.

Joining me today is Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett, who is leading the Canadian Armed Forces strategic response team on sexual misconduct.

I addressed this committee on this issue on May 25, 2015, less than a month following our receipt of former Supreme Court Justice Marie Deschamps's seminal report and recommendations. At that time I mapped out the initial actions that the Canadian Armed Forces were undertaking, or intended to quickly undertake, to address this insidious problem, as well as our intent to focus on four main areas in developing a solution: understanding the problem, responding to it, supporting those affected by it, and ultimately preventing it.

I'm pleased to report that we have made significant progress since that time, and at the end of August we released our second progress report outlining the efforts of the six previous months as well as our challenges in mitigating strategies on the way ahead.

Mr. Chair, as you well know, General Vance has made this issue one of his top priorities. He launched Operation Honour, the overarching endeavour aimed at eliminating harmful and inappropriate sexual behaviour within our institution. A focal point of Operation Honour is the implementation of all 10 of the recommendations in Madam Deschamps's report, though the efforts are not limited to those.

The objective is clear: to eliminate harmful and inappropriate sexual behaviour in order to ensure the dedicated men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces are treated with dignity and respect in a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. Delivering more effective support to victims remains Operation Honour's first objective.

Last September the sexual misconduct response centre, the SMRC, was established independently from the military chain of command to provide Canadian Armed Forces members affected by sexual misconduct with an additional confidential and unique support option. One of the attributes that makes the centre different is that it allows victims to speak to counsellors while deciding whether or not to pursue a formal complaint.

We know that fear of adverse effects and a lack of knowledge or trust in the system are considered impediments to victim reporting, and we continue to overcome these barriers. Plus we have seen an increase of 22% of incidents reported to the military police in the first six months of this year.

About half of these are cold cases predating Operation Honour. This demonstrates to us that some of these victims now believe, perhaps for the very first time, that we will hear them and we will actually take action. Important enhancements are under way within the military police branch and the Judge Advocate General to improve victim support as well as investigations and prosecutions.

On Tuesday of this week we announced and launched our new sexual offence response teams composed of specially trained investigators located at bases and wings across the country. Every report, every sexual offence, new or historical, will be investigated by these dedicated teams within the Canadian Forces national investigative services. Independently of Operation Honour, military judicial processes are also being reviewed and assessed with victim support as a central theme for this work.

Measuring progress is pivotal in determining the impact of our efforts. While the number of reports, investigations, charges, and convictions is an important performance measure, it is ultimately the Canadian Armed Forces members who will determine the extent of our success and the organizational culture change that it delivers.

This past spring, at our request Statistics Canada conducted a survey of regular force and primary reserve members to specifically address the incidence of and response to harmful and inappropriate sexual behaviour. Over 40,000 of our members completed the survey, and the results will be released at the end of November.

We expect that these results will be very revealing and they will provide us with the valuable information we need to better understand the scope and nature of sexual misconduct in the military context. We also believe we will learn about areas to target for successful culture change and understand the challenges our members face.

The responsibility and accountability of every member to live up to the values of respect and honour upheld by the Canadian Armed Forces is the cornerstone of a culture change being generated by Operation Honour. This is a long-term endeavour and one of the most difficult leadership challenges an organization can undertake.

We know that we are only at the very beginning of a very long and complex journey; however, we are seeing evidence of change generated at all levels of the institution. Momentum is building. Our challenge today is to maintain it.

The Canadian Armed Forces must protect and care for its members. We must be an employer of choice, despite the reality of sending people in harm's way. We should be respected not only for what we accomplish, but for what the Canadian Armed Forces is and what we represent. This can only be sustained if the institution diligently works to ensure a professional environment of dignity, respect, and the elimination of sexual misconduct.

The chief of the defence staff, General Vance, and my fellow institutional leaders are encouraged by the progress achieved to date, but we are not completely satisfied. Much work remains, and despite the early progress and changes within our institution, incidents of harmful sexual behaviour and sexual offences continue to occur. This is why Operation Honour remains a top priority across the Canadian Armed Forces.

The institution will be judged, not on promises and plans, but on our demonstrated ability to deliver the cultural change that Operation Honour intends to achieve.

That is why we remain deeply committed to ensuring a dignified, respectful and professional environment to all Canadians who choose to serve their country, and why in the eyes of all the members of the Canadian Forces, Operation HONOUR is a no-fail mission.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Thank you very much, General Whitecross.

Before we take our first question, I want to congratulate you on your recent appointment to the NATO college in Rome. We're all very proud of you.

Thank you.

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

Thank you very much. It's very exciting.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Our first question is going to go to Mr. Spengemann. You have seven minutes.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good morning, General Whitecross and Admiral Bennett. Thank you both for your service, for your leadership, for being here today, and most importantly, for engaging on this very important topic.

I want to put to you the idea that investigation, discipline, and victim support are tremendously important components of the project overall, but they are what we might consider the downstream components that happen when something bad has occurred.

You mentioned culture change. About an hour ago, I had the opportunity to introduce my private member's bill in the House of Commons. It's an act to create gender equality week in Canada. It's a bill for which I'm looking for feedback, and ultimately support from the Canadian Forces as it goes forward.

I wonder if you could take the lens of gender equality, which is something maybe more diffused, but certainly upstream of sexual misconduct and sexual violence, and illuminate the committee and Canada as a nation a little bit on the culture that is currently in place in the Canadian Forces that we need to change; the subtleties that would facilitate sexual misconduct, sexual violence, and ultimately all the things that we report on and try to correct.

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

Mr. Chair, I'm going to provide some of the answers to the questions, and then I'll defer to Jennifer Bennett, who is working the issues on a day-to-day basis.

First of all, a week as you have so illustrated or characterized would certainly be supported by the Canadian Armed Forces. General Vance has made it one of his priorities besides Operation Honour to increase the diversity numbers within the Canadian Armed Forces, and that is certainly one of my objectives as well.

In so doing, we're talking about cultural change, which will take a generation or more, as you can appreciate. In addition to that, we're trying to, as you have alluded to, bring out the behavioural change in the short term. Behavioural change in the short term will lead to cultural change in the long term. Institutionally, we must create the environment where culture change or behavioural change will be sustaining and enduring.

This speaks to policies, training, education, and a marked change in probably how we treat people when it comes to men and women, people of different sexual orientations, and different cultures, actually, if we can put it to that extent.

The work we're doing on the institutional side, which is very much process driven, which is very much going to create that environment, is ongoing. Admiral Bennett could speak a little bit more on that.

I would also like to mention that gender-based analysis has to be a part of our processes as we're moving forward. General Vance has identified Major-General Tammy Harris as the gender-based analysis champion for the Canadian Armed Forces. We're taking the lead on that to look at our policies to ensure there is no gender bias in our policies as we're moving forward, and that we're looking at them in a very structured and pragmatic way.

Putting that all together, our belief is that this will help to bring us to a sustained cultural change, and much of that has already been started.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

General, before we hear from Admiral Bennett, is it fair to say that aside from the policies, which are very much going in the right direction as I see it, there isn't at the moment among our serving women and men a presumption of gender equality across functions in the Canadian Forces? That's still not something that's culturally established, or is that too general a statement?

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

I think that's too general a statement. Personally, I believe I get treated as a peer based on my rank, my experience, and background level. I would like to think that is the case for all, but I'm not naive enough to believe that, so we do have work to do there.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Admiral Bennett, would you like to comment as well?

[Rear-Admiral Jennifer Bennett, Director General, Canadian Armed Forces Strategic Response Team On Sexual Misconduct, Department of National Defence]

I would address your last question first. There's a difference between gender equality and equity, and while we don't have the same balance of male members with the Canadian Armed Forces and female members, there are some differences in why people choose to join the Canadian Armed Forces. There is a propensity to join factor, and we share that challenge across a number of occupations that have been traditionally male dominated.

I would also add we do have pay parity benefit. We do have a number of programs that are exactly the same for men and women, which is not the case across other occupations. It is difficult to answer the question about gender equality if you're simply looking at numbers.

Certainly, our programs, and the way we treat individuals, are very gender neutral. In our physical fitness standards, we've gone to one standard for all, so that it applies to members of the Canadian Armed Forces to ensure we are fit for operations. There are no different standards for men than there are for women.

In terms of the cultural change and with your specific reference to gender considerations, Operation Honour touches on a number of other large projects across the department. General Whitecross mentioned diversity. We continue to work on our ethics and ethos, our programs of leadership, and gender considerations on operations as part of the UN security resolution and NATO work.

We are engaged across a number of initiatives that are gender related, and I'm excited as well to hear about the opportunity to celebrate gender equality week, and the role we can play in that.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

I would like to look at the two separate stages in the process of entering and serving in the Canadian Forces. What messaging with respect to gender equality is taking place at the recruitment stage and in our military colleges?

I know that doesn't leave a lot of time, but if you could just briefly address it, maybe we can circle back to it.

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

There are two parts to that question. One, we're trying to increase our diversity numbers. That is one of our ultimate aims in the next number of years, and the CDS has made our stated aim 1% per year for the next 10 years, so we can increase our target numbers from Human Resources Canada up to 25% in the next decade.

In order to do that, we are creating the environment at the recruiting centres before they even get to the military colleges and the recruit school in Saint-Jean. We're trying to engage more women, specifically women, but also people of visible minorities and our aboriginal colleagues. We're trying to engage them more, to tell them of the benefits that exist within the Canadian Armed Forces, and to expand upon them because we found in our public opinion research that women generally didn't understand what it meant to be a military member, and to do far more education at the grassroots level.

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Thank you for that.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Thanks very much.

Mr. Paul-Hus, you have the floor.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Madam Lieutenant-General Whitecross and Madam Rear-Admiral Bennett, we are talking about behaviour and environment, but what are the primary causes of actual cases of harassment or assault?

I was a member of the Canadian Forces for more than 20 years, and I was unit commander. So I had to manage such problems at the time. I began to serve at the end of the 1980s, during the transition. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was implemented more actively and women were integrated into combat zones. At the time, this was a man's world, but they then had to deal with the presence of women in the infantry, the artillery, and combat zones. This created a change of culture.

Is there an increase in the number of assault cases today? If so, is there a link between that increase and the behaviour and culture of young people today, who live in a society that is more permissive than it was at that time?

I would also like to know whether the imposition of discipline in the Canadian Forces has changed. At a certain point, members of the military could not do anything out of line without the imposition of very strict disciplinary measures. Has discipline changed? Are NCOs less strict today toward military members, an attitude which could lead to bad behaviour?

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

Thanks very much, sir. There are quite a few questions in there. I will take them one at a time.

When it comes to a sexualized culture, the reality is that the Canadian Armed Forces aren't the only people who have this type of behaviour that we're trying to address. It exists in civil society, universities, and colleges across the country, not to mention other government departments and our allies. It is a severe issue, as well, that is facing our allies, and we discuss best practices as much as possible with the countries and with organizations within Canada.

The reality is that we are bringing young people who are part of that society into our organization, and we need to inculcate in them what it means to be a military member as soon as possible when they come in. That starts at the recruiting centres. At the recruiting centres this is discussed openly with every person who wants to be a member. They're expected to sign a form that says they agree that this behaviour shouldn't be taken.

Sexualized culture exists and our job, in my humble opinion, is to ensure that Canadian Armed Forces members realize that they need to be held to a higher standard. This is a firm belief of military ethos, as you're aware, and we need to ensure that it's at the forefront. I'll go your third question, which has to do with discipline and such.

I believe there are a number of chains of command out there that are wanting to do the right thing, and we see it today. We see it more today than we have in the past because there is a big spotlight on people who are doing these types of behaviour. I must admit that in my town halls, as I went across the country, that wasn't always the case. It hasn't been the case in some areas, not everywhere...but the reality is that some people have turned a blind eye, and we need to address that as a matter of course. With the change of culture in the Canadian Armed Forces, we've been talking about it for a long period of time. We say it's going to take a long time. It is one of the largest challenges we have in getting rid of this insidious behaviour. It's fundamentally changing people's ideals of what appropriate behaviour is.

We don't have stats that go back years and years, unfortunately. Information comes to us from a great many sources. It comes from the SMRC, the sexual misconduct response centre, and comes to us from the MP and from the health services group. We get some anecdotal stuff from our padres. We also get it from the ombudsman. We get it from a change of command, so there is a plethora of avenues. Today we're trying to amalgamate all of that information so that we have a clearer picture.

The Stats Canada survey that we had contracted for earlier this year will give us a baseline indication of where we are today and where we have been in the last number of months, but it will not give us a strong indication of where we were five, 10, 15, or 20 years ago. We're working very much today, because to identify how we're getting better, we need to be able to show that tangibly.

Jennifer, do you have any thoughts on this?

[RAdm Jennifer Bennett]

Just to add to that, our approach has changed considerably from the 1980s. Both General Whitecross and I were members of the Canadian Forces then.

Our approach to addressing the concern at that time was sort of one prong: training. We felt that if we trained people about what was right and what was wrong, it would fix the problem. We have a more comprehensive approach to this now, and that includes the use of both disciplinary measures and administrative measures and holding leaders to account. Because General Vance made this endeavour an operation, he has given orders to the Canadian Armed Forces, and he has made those orders and expectations very clear at all levels.

Now, leaders are held to account for lack of action in their units or at their level. We are tracking this and we are reporting. People have been removed from positions of command and supervisory positions. Charges have been laid. We've had eight convictions in the period from January to June for sexual-related offences. We've taken administrative measures as well, which include not just the corrective and remedial measures, but release from the Canadian Armed Forces and career action. It's a much more comprehensive and serious approach at all levels. It is also holding leaders to account.

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

Mr. Chair, may I add one more more small point?

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Yes. Please go ahead.

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

When we're talking about sexual misconduct to the extreme, which is sexual assault, it is very intimate violence, in most cases between two people—men, women, it matters not. The issue at place there is having trust that the system will take care of you when it's your word against someone else's, so encouraging people to report.... You talk about the disciplinary system. Encouraging people to report and giving them the confidence that the chain of command is going to do the right thing is another challenge that we have. We encourage people to report as much as possible.

[The Chair, Liberal, Stephen Fuhr]

Mr. Garrison, you have the floor.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Thanks very much, Mr. Chair.

I want to extend a warm welcome, of course, to both Rear-Admiral Bennett and Lieutenant-General Whitecross.

Also, congratulations on your appointment, Lieutenant-General Whitecross. I'll try not to view it as a loss for us but as a gain for Canada on the world stage.

[LGen Christine Whitecross]

Thank you.

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

To begin, I want to make a remark about the seriousness of this problem. I was at a NATO Parliamentary Association reception just this week, where one of the participants, one of our allies, opened his remarks with a “rape joke”. I think it indicates the severity of the sexualized culture and the mountains that you have to climb here.

I am going to ask some fairly serious questions, but I do think it's important to say that I think many things are going very well and are quite worthy of praise. I appreciate the seriousness with which the leadership is taking this question. We've moved a long way from when people said that the policy was zero tolerance, because zero tolerance is always an aspiration and never a policy. Certainly, as Rear-Admiral Bennett just mentioned, there's the shift in emphasis to include more extensive measures. What you didn't mention is the emphasis on support to victims, which I think was lacking in the past. I really welcome that.

Changing culture is not an easy task. I do recognize why your emphasis is right now focused very much on serving members, but I want to ask about some other related areas of concern. I want to ask about cadets, families living on base, civilian employees, and, if there's time, reserves.

Let me start with cadets. We have more than 50,000 cadets in programs across the country. That's a very positive thing and is something that I hope we can expand, but we have some concerns. Because of some high-profile incidents, I have had concerns from parents about placing their kids in cadets.

Have questions of harassment and sexual assault been integrated into the orientation and training for cadets themselves? Are there special outreach provisions for cadets who may be the target of harassment and assault? We know this goes on everywhere in society. There's nothing special about cadets that would mean it wouldn't go on there.