Feds trying to stop sexual misconduct lawsuit against Canadian Forces

February 7, 2018

Veteran outraged by Ottawa’s push to
quash sexual misconduct lawsuit
against Canadian Forces

By Sarah Deeth and Greg Davis Global News


Dawn McIlmoyle, a former military member living in Peterborough, is part of a class-action lawsuit which alleges the federal government has failed to protect members of the Canadian Forces from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination.

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A former military member is speaking out after learning of the federal government’s bid to quash a class-action lawsuit brought against the Canadian military alleging sexual harassment, assault and discrimination.

Dawn McIlmoyle, a former member of the Canadian Armed Forces, says she was sexually assaulted while serving in 1992. She left the military in 1993. She has been vocal about her story, landing on the cover of a Maclean’s magazine investigation into sexual assault in the military.

She says she battled the Armed Forces ever since to get them to recognize the issue and provide resources for victims.

“Benign neglect. Which, you know, you can do something about a situation which would make it better, but you chose not to,” she said from her home in Peterborough, Ont.

“And I feel that is what the government and the military is doing.”

McIlmoyle is part of a class-action lawsuit filed against the Canadian Military, one that alleges discrimination, assault and harassment is widespread among the military ranks. The case makes allegations that have yet to be proven in court.

But the federal government wants the suit tossed out of court, arguing that it does not owe a private law duty of care to provide a safe and harassment-free work environment, or to create policies to prevent sexual harassment or sexual assault.

“I think the government is trying to squash it because they don’t want the stories to come out,” McIlmoyle said. “Because then society’s gonna know what it was really like in there.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighed in on the issue on Wednesday morning.

“It is something that is of concern with me, and I’ve asked the Attorney General to follow up with the lawyers to make sure we argue things that are consistent with this government’s philosophy,” Trudeau said.

“Obviously what the lawyers have been arguing
does not align with my beliefs or this
government’s beliefs.”

As for McIlmoyle, she says she’s not looking for money.

“You have a duty of care to people. You’re vicariously liable for your employees,” she said. “So if your employees are hurting people, and you’re perpetuating that over and over again, how is that a safe work environment? How is that not misconduct?

https://globalnews.ca/news/4011881/veteran-outraged-by-ottawas-push-to-quash-sexual-misconduct-lawsuit-against-canadian-forces/

leave it to to gov to say one thing and do another its going to be funny to see how they dance around this one

Prime Time Politics Feb 07, 2018

Fast forward to 31:40 for Sexual Misconduct lawsuit followed by Compensation for Veterans.

http://www.cpac.ca/en/programs/primetime-politics/episodes/58728433

Thanks Trooper for that feed. Gets my blood boiling listening to that Sherry Romanado.
Have you noticed that smirk on her face when she was being asked the questions?
All is perfect according to her and, obviously, her handlers.
And she says that she is from 'military family'. Really? Shameless, but again, her boss is Shameus.
Whatever the spelling.

February 9, 2018

Canada is taking a ‘feminist approach’ to the military, defence minister says

By Jeremy Lye and Simon Little CKNW


Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan displays his service medals as he leaves a ceremony in which the Royal Canadian Air Force were presented with new ceremonial flags in Toronto on Friday, September 1, 2017.

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Amid the growing fallout from the #MeToo movement in Ottawa, Canada’s defence minister is defending the Trudeau government’s record on preventing sexual assault and harassment in the armed forces.

Harjit Sajjan said he won’t address an ongoing lawsuit against the Canadian military in which complainants allege sexual harassment, assault and discrimination.

But speaking in Vancouver on Friday, Sajjan said the government is taking a “feminist approach” to the military.

“Our defence policy itself didn’t have a gender-based analysis, it was done after the defense policy was written,” Sajjan said.

“It was actually done as we were actually developing the policy. We are actually committed to increasing more the number of women in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).”

Sajjan went on to say that the government wants women to feel confident coming forward with allegations.

“We’ve been setting an example ourselves and from day one when the government was elected — 50 per cent women and 50 per cent men [in cabinet], we have taken a feminist approach as a government,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rajinder Sahota, a lawyer for three former service members suing the federal government, said Ottawa has taken anything but a feminist approach in legal arguments to have the case quashed.

One of those arguments maintains that the federal government doesn’t “owe a private law duty of care to individual members within the CAF to provide a safe and harassment-free work environment, or to create policies to prevent sexual harassment or sexual assault,” she said.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he’d asked the federal justice minister to speak with the government’s lawyers and ensure they weren’t making arguments inconsistent with the government’s philosophy.

“Obviously the lawyers’ argument does not align with my beliefs or what this government believes,” Trudeau said.

https://globalnews.ca/news/4017318/harjit-sajjan-military-feminist/