Roundup: Pointing to the civilian culture too

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The reckoning over the culture in the Canadian Forces that permits sexual misconduct continues to get an airing, and over the weekend, we saw another dimension to this reckoning be raised, which is that the culture of the civilian branch – the Department of National Defence – has many of these same cultural problems in part because a good portion of its staff are former military and came up in the same toxic culture in the Forces. One example of ways in which the Forces were trying to show women that they weren’t welcome was forcing them into co-ed showers in 1997, and how the people involved in those decisions are still in positions of authority today.

Also over the weekend, there was an interview with retired Lt-Gen. Christine Whitecross, who discussed her experiences with misconduct that she did not always pursue complaints about, but also her sense of optimism that more people reporting sexual misconduct in the ranks. Whitecross also let it be known that she did apply for the chief of defence staff position, but obviously did not get it (to the surprise of many). As well, the accused in one of the most high-profile cases of sexual assault in the military – the story of which wound up in Maclean’s and touched off the Deschamps report and Operation Honour – is going to plead guilty to the charges after all.

Amidst all of this, the current military ombudsman is now echoing previous calls to make his office fully independent and reporting to Parliament, rather than to the department and the minister, and I just can’t. The very last thing we need is one more unaccountable Independent Officer of Parliament, and yet they are proliferating like mad, and this is yet one more demand. Surely we can figure out some sort of mechanism to help them retain greater independence within the current structure, but we need to stop the proliferation of Officers of Parliament, before they completely overrun our system, reducing our MPs to battle droids who recite canned speeches and vote according to their whip’s instructions. And it’s not like we’re not seeing other Officers of Parliament going well beyond their job descriptions and turning themselves into media darlings, right? Oh, wait…

Good reads:

  • The government is adding more quarantine hotels to their list, which would seem to indicate that there are a lot more people travelling than initially assumed.
  • An Ontario judge struck down part of the government’s laws against misinformation under elections laws, citing them as being too restrictive of free speech.
  • The federal government created judicial referral hearings to help reduce court delays, but most provinces aren’t really using them to great effect.
  • CSIS and the RCMP are looking to the UK for best practices on how to work together to thwart domestic terrorism.
  • It looks like grassroots Liberals will be pushing for universal basic income at their upcoming policy convention.
  • Erin O’Toole told a party audience that he needs another million votes in the next election, and hopes to find them in Ontario, Quebec, and BC.
  • Jason Kenney is going to have to face a leadership review next year – but its timing is likely strategic enough for him to claim it’s too close to the next election.
  • Chantal Hébert wonders how this proactive feminist government couldn’t see fit to actually act on recommendations to change the culture in the Canadian military.
  • Heather Scoffield looks at last week’s job numbers and puts them into the context of the millions of jobs this government is planning as part of their “green recovery.”
  • Scoffield also talks to former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney about his new book about shifting out values toward sustainable growth.

Odds and ends:

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3 thoughts on “Roundup: Pointing to the civilian culture too”

  1. How nice. In the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection a Canadian judge agrees with a right-wing astroturf group that liars should have the right to lie that elections are “rigged,” Trudeau is a pederast who eats babies at Ping Pong Pizza, or anything else to that effect.

    There is just too much weaponized stupid and it’s making my head hurt.

  2. I often wonder when PBO goes on talk shows and gives an opinion if this person is not in fact seeking celebrity instead of doing quietly a public service. Maybe the PBO and other Officers of Parliament need a re-write of their job description.

  3. the whole sexual misconduct or harassment thing, is a society wide problem, it has to do with the way society sees itself and attitudes/beliefs. Many reject out right the way it has been pushed by the politicos and the media. You do not hear about how to change societal attitudes on this topic. It’s easier to attack individual and then claim society is changing.

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