National Post (National Edition)
Defence chief to crack down on abuse
Concerns about militar y sexual misconduct and the threat of further budget cuts hung like a cloud Friday over the ceremony in which Gen. Jonathan Vance was officially installed as Canada’s new top military officer.
Vance took over as chief of defence staff from Gen. Tom Lawson in a comparatively low-key, yet tightly scripted, ceremony that featured none of the booming cannons or other displays usually associated with such an event.
Yet those who had hoped Vance would draw a line in the sand when it comes to sexual misconduct in the ranks didn’t have to wait long: The Afghan veteran used his first speech to address the issue head-on.
“It must stop now,” Vance told an Ottawa ballroom packed with military personnel, politicians and other VIPs. “Let there be no doubt in anyone’s mind: I will not tolerate any behaviour that attacks the dignity or safety of any person serving in or with the Canadian Armed Forces.”
Vance’s comments contrasted sharply with those of his predecessor Lawson, whose own commitment to tackling sexual misbehaviour in the ranks had been called into question. Lawson faced particularly stinging criticism after blaming the problem on “biological wiring,” a comment for which he later apologized.
The military has been struggling with how to deal with sexual misconduct in the ranks since a Maclean’s/l’Actualité investigation last year raised concerns that it was failing to take the issue seriously. Re-
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tired Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps was called in to conduct her own study, and found a “sexualized” environment that was “hostile” to women and left victims of assault and harassment to fend for themselves.
Vance praised Lawson’s efforts to deal with the issue, including setting up a task force to chart a way forward. But Vance also warned that if military leaders didn’t treat those in uniform properly, “the only people following you will be the bullies and predators. And they, frankly, are the most useless in combat operations. We’re better off without them.”
On the other pressing challenge, defence spending cuts, Prime Minister Stephen Harper indicated the belttightening isn’t over.
Harper used the occasion to tout his government’s support for the military, including the purchase of new equipment such as ships and aircraft.
He also took a jab at the NDP and Liberals, saying: “Countries that cannot or will not defend their own sovereignty and national interests, at best, risk being sidelined.” Both opposition parties have promised to end Canada’s bombing campaign in Iraq and Syria if elected.
Canadian defence spending as a percentage of gross domestic product stands at about one per cent, lower than any time in recent history.