MPS voice concern over allegations against Vance
Independent investigative body needed, committee hears
The latest allegations of sexual misconduct by Canada’s former top soldier show the need for a completely independent organization that military victims can go to for help, a parliamentary committee heard Monday.
Several MPS on the Commons defence committee voiced concern that a Canadian Forces major who made allegations against chief of the defence staff Gen. Jon Vance has said she had nowhere to turn.
Retired Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps, who produced a major report in 2015 outlining widespread sexual misconduct in the Canadian Forces, said it was unbelievable such a situation still exists. Deschamps had recommended an independent centre be created to deal with such cases, but the Canadian Forces rejected that proposal. Instead, it created a centre that reports to the deputy minister at National Defence. MPS heard testimony that the centre is limited in what it can do.
“I said that centre had to be independent,” Deschamps told parliamentarians Monday.
Military police are investigating Vance after a series of reports from Global News, which alleged the officer had a relationship with a woman he significantly outranked. Global also reported Vance is alleged to have made a sexual suggestion to a second, much younger soldier in 2012, before he was appointed chief of the defence staff.
Vance has been asked repeatedly by the Ottawa Citizen for comment about the allegations but he has not responded. He told Global he did nothing improper.
On Sunday Global News aired an interview with Maj. Kellie Brennan, who outlined details about what she said was her 20-year relationship with Vance. That relationship started when Vance was her boss and continued as he continued to advance in his career, she alleged. They had sex in his office, at his house and in cars, Brennan said.
Brennan also claimed senior military leaders knew about her relationship with Vance because she told them.
Brennan also alleged she was raped by another officer in a conference room at CFB Wainwright in Alberta.
“And I conveyed all of this to Jon Vance in detail and he did nothing,” she said.
Brennan alleged in her interview with Global News that she and Vance had sex the night before the general was sworn in as chief of the defence staff in July 2015. At the time Vance wanted to get her views on the speech he would deliver the next day, she added.
In that speech Vance condemned inappropriate sexual behaviour and warned that would not be tolerated under his command.
“Any form of harmful sexual behaviour has been and always will be absolutely contrary to good order and discipline,” Vance said in his inaugural address. “It is a threat to morale. It is a threat to operational readiness and a threat to this institution.”
Vance launched Operation Honour, a campaign to crack down on sexual misconduct. But Brennan said Vance and the senior leadership behind Operation Honour “have no clue” about the sexual misconduct in the Canadian military.
The committee also heard Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan had the power to conduct an investigation into allegations concerning Vance as well as to remove the officer temporarily from command.
There was nothing stopping Sajjan from doing either when he was told about the allegations in 2018, said retired Canadian military colonel and Ottawa lawyer Michel Drapeau, who represents military personnel who have been sexually assaulted or harassed.
“He had the duty to investigate,” Drapeau testified. “He had the tools to investigate.”
Sajjan has said he takes seriously all allegations of sexual misconduct and passed any information he received to the Privy Council Office, the main bureaucratic organization that provides support to the prime minister and cabinet. The PCO has said the information provided did not allow further action to be taken.
Sajjan appeared before the committee last week but didn’t answer many questions.
I CONVEYED ALL OF THIS TO JON VANCE IN DETAIL AND HE DID NOTHING.