Madam Speaker, the minister, in his response to my question regarding sexual misconduct in the military, seemed to indicate that with the results of the Operation Honour survey, the military now had a handle on the scope of the issue of military sexual trauma and could now root it out. The problem is that the data gathered did not take into account those who left the military or were in the process of leaving. It also left out both recruits and those on course, which I might point out, according to American research, is the time sexual misconduct is most likely to occur.
The minister is working with incomplete information and expects to fix the problem. That is very problematic and needs to be addressed. Even if we take the information from the report and start addressing sexual misconduct, I think the minister will find that the problem is deeply rooted. I remain concerned that the minister's plan will not even come close to addressing the issues.
The struggles of many suffering from military sexual trauma are on the public record, but I think it is important to share some information this evening.
The veterans affairs committee heard testimony from the founder of It's Just 700, an organization that is advocating for and supporting those with military sexual trauma. I wonder if the parliamentary secretary knows the origins of the name. It comes from the reaction of the military community to the 2015 external review of sexual misconduct and sexual harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces. The hostility towards those facing military sexual trauma was made clear when MST survivors were dismissed as “only 700 making complaints”.
The problem is deeply rooted. The testimony heard at the veterans affairs committee included statements from MST survivors. I am going to read some now so that the House can truly understand how difficult this issue is.
My military doctor started pushing for a medical release at my first appointment with her, following the assault, before I had even seen a psychiatrist, started meds, started seeing a psychologist, or even wrapped my head around the fact that I had been raped.
Another survivor said:
The medical personnel told me that rape victims were not sent to see psychologists and that the priority was given to soldiers with combat-related trauma.
These men and women are struggling, and when they do speak up, it becomes more difficult for them. As we heard from It's Just 700:
There are still a lot of people being penalized for talking, and the retaliation part has not been set yet. We've pushed people to report, but we haven't actually provided support when they do....
The witness also pointed out that spouses of those who report military sexual trauma also face retaliation within the military if a spouse comes forward with claims of MST. This leaves the family vulnerable. Not only are they dealing with a sexual trauma and the potential loss of one military career, but the spouse may also be targeted. This impact on their careers, either in the short or long term, could really harm the family's ability to manage financially and emotionally.
My question to the minister is as follows. What action is the government taking now to make changes at DND and VAC? Will those groups excluded from the initial report be included in the subsequent report so that we can have an accurate picture of the problem and properly address the issue of sexual misconduct in the military with those serving and with our veterans?