As Member of Parliament for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke – home of Garrison Petawawa – and member of the Standing Committee on National Defence, I encourage the committee to extend its diversity study to include Operation HONOUR and inappropriate sexual behaviour in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).
Women, who bravely and selflessly serve Canada in the CAF are, on a daily basis, faced with the very real threats of sexual assault, including rape by their male colleagues.
No other workplace in Canada would tolerate this type of behaviour, yet it persists as routine in the Forces.
Operation HONOUR was launched in 2015, with the difficult and laudable goal of correcting a hostile work environment in the Canadian Armed Forces.
All the evidence is pointing towards the simple fact that Operation HONOUR, or Operation ‘Hop on Her’ as it has been dubbed by the troops, is not working.
First the Auditor General’s Fall 2018 report, and now the recent Statistics Canada report. Add this factual evidence to the mountain of anecdotal evidence. Operation HONOUR has failed.
The Standing Committee on National Defence is being pressured to rush through its findings on increasing Diversity in the Canadian Armed Forces before the Minister and the Office of the Auditor General have come to speak to the alarming report. Recommendations on how to attract more women and visible minorities to the Canadian Armed Forces are to be part of the conclusions.
Backgrounder
Original Motion (moved on April 11th, 2019):
That the Committee, as part of its study on Diversity in the Canadian Armed Forces, hold no fewer than three additional meetings regarding Operation HONOUR and that the findings be published in a separate report to be tabled in the House.
Amended & Adopted Motion (adopted on May 30th, 2019):
That the Committee hold no fewer than three additional meetings, at the determination of the Subcommittee on Agenda and Procedure, regarding Operation HONOUR and that it report its findings to the House.
Proposed New Motion:
That in light of the Statistics Canada report showing that sexual assaults in the Canadian Armed Forces have not declined in the last two years, the Committee hold no fewer than three meetings on Operation HONOUR and sexual misconduct in the Canadian Armed Forces, that the meetings be televised, and that it report its findings to the House.