Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the appointment of Lieutenant-General Frances Allen as vice chief of the defence staff. She is the first woman to become second-in-command of the Canadian Forces.
This is great news, because on Monday we celebrated International Women's Day. It is also great news in a week marked by what appears to be a culture of sexual misconduct in the military running rampant up to the highest echelons.
The allegations against the former chief of the defence staff and his successor reflect, at best, a hostile environment towards women and, at worst, a dangerous one.
The fact that the Minister of National Defence, who is in the military himself, may have ignored these allegations reveals the extent of the culture of silence that needs to be eliminated.
Ms. Allen's appointment should therefore in no way serve to defuse the crisis. On the contrary, this woman has a colossal job ahead of her and, as the Bloc Québécois critic for the status of women, I would like to offer her my full support and warm congratulations.