Statement from Minister Blair on the Fourth Biannual Report of External Monitor

November 20, 2024 – Ottawa, ON – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Minister of National Defence, the Honourable Bill Blair, issued the following statement today in response to Madame Jocelyne Therrien’s fourth External Monitor status report. The report provides an update on the Department of National Defence (DND) and the Canadian Armed Forces’ (CAF) implementation of the 48 recommendations of the Independent External Comprehensive Review (IECR).

“Members of the CAF have made a commitment to safeguard sovereignty and security for Canada and Canadians. Our commitment is to make sure they can get the job done. We are doing that by fostering respect and inclusion in our workplace, which builds stronger teams with more diverse perspectives and better enables our military to be ready to defend Canada and its interests. Former Supreme Court Justice Louise Arbour gave us a way forward on changes needed in our institution and the External Monitor is guiding us and holding us accountable as we implement those changes. I welcome this fourth report and thank Madame Therrien for her work.

“We are continuing to make tangible progress in response to the IECR recommendations. With 22 recommendations addressed, and another nine expected to be completed by the end of this year, we are on track to have all 48 addressed by the end of 2025.

“Introduced in March 2024, Bill C-66 would give exclusive jurisdiction to civilian authorities to investigate and prosecute Criminal Code sexual offences committed in Canada, definitively removing such cases from the CAF’s jurisdiction. It also implements key recommendations from former Supreme Court Justice Morris Fish’s review of the military justice system. Unanimous support for Bill C-66 has been indicated to move it to committee for consideration, which is the next step in it becoming legislation.

“As Madame Therrien notes in her report, Recommendations 20, 22 and 25 focus on making the recruitment process more efficient and effective. We are continuing with the implementation of improvements to the recruitment process as we committed to in Canada’s Defence Policy Update, Our North, Strong and Free, by establishing a probationary period to enable the faster enrolment of applicants, and the timely removal of those who do not adhere to our conduct requirements. This new probation period will be implemented by December 2024.

“We are also changing our approach to recruitment in other meaningful ways. As mentioned in the External Monitor’s report, we are streamlining the security clearance process to reduce the time it takes new recruits to move into their positions. National Defence has signed an Information Sharing Agreement with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to enable better access to information about Permanent Resident applicants. We are also reviewing medical requirements to make them more reflective of societal norms.

“As noted by Madame Therrien, the CAF has trialed an exemption to the Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) for certain occupations for applicants with university degrees or college diplomas, and for those who already meet occupational educational requirements. Since April 2024, more than 3,000 individuals are being processed according to this new approach. For them, the CFAT is applied later during basic training. I can share with you today that following the success of this trial, this approach will now be used for all incoming applicants.

“As we have heard from many CAF Defence Team members, partners, and stakeholders, how we describe and define issues or situations can directly affect how we respond. In short, words are important. As noted by Madame Therrien and Madame Arbour, clarity in terms of what is deemed as inappropriate behaviour represents the first step in its eradication. This is why, in line with Recommendation 1, the CAF updated the broad definition of “sexual misconduct” in its policies in June 2024 and included sexual assault as a clear definition, referring to the Criminal Code as the applicable law. Today, I am pleased to share that the Sexual and Gender Based Violence Spectrum has been developed to serve as a learning and communication tool that clearly identifies a range of behaviours—from acceptable conduct to inappropriate behaviour, conduct deficiencies and criminal acts. Providing examples of unacceptable behaviors sets clear expectations about conduct and consequences in our workplace, and can help Defence Team members respond appropriately when they occur.

“Openness and transparency are paramount to our progress and a publicly available plan to accomplish this is key. I am happy to report that in June 2024 we released the Comprehensive Implementation Plan (CIP). It is a detailed, five-year roadmap that indicates how the institution is addressing recommendations from four key external review reports, including the IECR.

“In October 2023, we launched an online database to make our conduct and culture research and policies more open and accessible, in line with IECR Recommendation 45. Today we are making more data public through the Conduct and Culture Data Centre. This interactive online tool means Canadians can now access more information about Defence Team people, demographics and culture.  

“I am also pleased to report that Recommendation 8 of the National Apology Advisory Committee (NAAC) Report has been addressed. The establishment of an anti-Black racism Ministerial Advisory Committee will provide external and independent oversight and guidance on current and future DND/CAF anti-Black racism policies, programs, and initiatives. We will be selecting members this winter and launching the committee in spring 2025. This will mark the completion of the last outstanding NAAC recommendation.

“Madame Therrien speaks to the impact that the current pace of change is having on DND/CAF. She notes that it may be difficult to continue to sustain this pace, and that it may be helpful to take a step back to determine where the chances of instilling real change are greatest. I acknowledge that this transformational process is long and challenging. Given the broad nature of culture evolution, we began this journey with a wide scope. We are now consolidating our efforts to focus on making the improvements that have the greatest impact for Defence Team members.

“I once again thank Madame Therrien for her frank evaluation of our progress and remaining work. Through this productive process, we are advancing institutional change in a smart and sustainable way, while being accountable to the progress that our members, their families, and Canadians deserve. We have made some very real progress and we know there is more to be done.” 

Associated Links

• Defence Minister Bill Blair releases fourth status report of the External Monitor
• Fourth Biannual Status Report of the External Monitor, Jocelyne Therrien 
• Third Biannual Status Report of the External Monitor, Jocelyne Therrien
• Second Biannual Status Report of the External Monitor, Jocelyne Therrien
• First Biannual Status Report of the External Monitor, Jocelyne Therrien
• Defence Minister Bill Blair announces updates on culture change at the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces
• Minister Blair introduces legislation to modernize the military justice system and advance culture change in the Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces
• Minister Anita Anand appoints External Monitor to oversee National Defence efforts to address sexual misconduct and harassment
• Report of the Independent External Comprehensive Review led by the Honourable Louise Arbour 
• Minister of National Defence’s December 2022 Report to Parliament on Culture Change Reforms in response to former Supreme Court Justice Arbour’s recommendations