I am certainly not surprised that sexual misconduct exists. As the committee is probably aware, I led the strategic response team on sexual misconduct after the Deschamps report in 2016. Honestly, I had the honour to meet with thousands of Canadian Armed Forces men and women across the country to discuss this behaviour and to discuss the value system that the Canadian Armed Forces upholds and expects of every single member of the Canadian Armed Forces. In so doing, I had been privy to many disclosures that were heartbreaking. Many of them were old, granted, but some of them were not. That was really a watershed moment for me. I may not have personally experienced such behaviour throughout my career, but to listen to people that have was literally gut-wrenching, to say the least.
Yes, I'm surprised what's happened in the last couple of months, but am I surprised that this behaviour exists? No, I am not. That's why I am pleased we can hopefully continue with the dialogue and get some tangible measures to get us back on the right track right away.