Okay. Maybe what I can do, Chair, is just finish this point that I was trying to make and highlight this important point. I was actually getting very close to the end, so I'm just going to read the last few sentences here.
As a consequence, significant responsibility is given to CAF leaders to both ensure that members are treated with dignity, and to maintain a standard of professional conduct that respects the dignity of all persons. Only by carrying out this self-regulation effectively will the CAF be able to maintain the trust and confidence of the broader Canadian public.
I think this point is one that ties in with what we've heard from many of our witnesses, which is how carrying out, in this case, the self-regulation the Deschamps report was referring to is important not only to making sure that we regulate those behaviours and that misconduct is appropriately dealt with but also to maintaining the confidence of the Canadian public and, I would argue, also the confidence of CAF members. We heard a lot about that from our witnesses.
Unfortunately, however, it was apparent throughout the consultations that, with respect to inappropriate sexual conduct, the culture of the CAF on the ground does not, in many ways, measure up to the professional standards established by the policies and described in Duty with Honour. Rather, the ERA found that there is a significant disjunction between the aspiration of the CAF to embody a professional military ethos which embraces the principle of respect for the dignity of all persons, and the reality experienced by many CAF members day-to-day.
I think that's a really important point to underline, and I'll wrap my point up here, Chair.
As I just stated, there's a difference between that aspiration to live up to a higher standard and the reality that many CAF members experience, and I think that gap needs to be closed. I think we heard that from a number of members.
I wanted to highlight these topics, Chair, because, again, as I said, these are things that we've heard from the witnesses in some part throughout this study and I think this is the kind of thing that highlights why further witnesses aren't necessary. With that, I will pass it on to the next colleague.
Thank you.