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The federal government will set up an independent body to investigate accusations of sexual misconduct, racism and discrimination in the military after facing criticism over how it handled allegations against top officials, according to a source with knowledge of the plan.
The government source said Ottawa has concluded an independent body – outside the chain of command – will offer victims of misconduct in the military a safe way to report allegations.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan is facing criticism for refusing to look at evidence when former military ombudsman Gary Walbourne told him about an allegation of inappropriate sexual behaviour against then-chief of the defence staff Jonathan Vance.
Read more:
Stéfanie von Hlatky and Tandy Thomas: Widespread cultural change is overdue in Canada’s military
Campbell Clark: A minister who ducked when the allegation came his way
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan and Chief of Defence Staff Jonathan Vance listen to a question during a news conference Friday, June 26, 2020 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian WyldAdrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
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Documents show Canada was slow to react to early virus threat
A year after lockdowns began in Canada because of COVID-19, federal documents show that Ottawa’s response to the outbreak was too slow, and did not adhere to past protocols set out for a crisis, a former top government official says.
Federal documents reviewed for The Globe and Mail by a former top government official who oversaw emergency preparedness show delays in Ottawa’s early reaction to COVID-19, and that the Public Health Agency of Canada deviated from past protocols set out for major threats.
Read more:
One year from Canada’s first COVID-19 deaths, what do the numbers tell us?
André Picard: A year of pandemic death ends with some rays of hope
Where are all the female analysts on Bay Street?
Bank of Montreal mining analyst Jackie Przybylowski never much thought about the fact that the mining industry was dominated by men, and when she went to conferences, she’d usually see at least some female faces in the crowd. But when she logged in last November for the annual Denver Gold Forum, which was forced to move online because of the pandemic, all she saw was rows of male faces.
The lack of gender diversity among equity research analysts is not just an issue in mining. It is an issue across Canada’s capital markets, where men far outnumber women covering every major sector. Many banks and brokerages say they have been trying to hire more women for senior positions in research, but progress has been slow.
To examine gender in the industry, The Globe and Mail reviewed the rosters of analysts who cover the companies that make up the S&P/TSX 60, an index of some of Canada’s most valuable stocks.
Read more:
How can we bridge the gender power gap? Six ways employers, governments and men can do better
Female Shopify executives launch angel investing group, Backbone Angels
Rita Trichur: The wealth-management industry needs to stop treating women as an afterthought
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ALSO ON OUR RADAR
Meghan and Harry’s Oprah interview sparks calls for probe of Royal Family racism: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s revelations about life inside the Royal Family have caused a furor in Britain and led to calls for an investigation into racism at Buckingham Palace. During their televised interview with Oprah Winfrey on Sunday, Ms. Markle talked about having suicidal thoughts and Harry said an unnamed relative expressed concern about how dark their baby’s skin would be.
Also: Elizabeth Renzetti: Meghan and Harry interview shows how the Royal Family is stuck in the past
Canadian auto-parts makers seek travel quarantine exemption: Auto-parts makers are asking Ottawa to allow their travelling executives and staff to be designated as essential business workers so they can avoid quarantine after crossing the Canada-U.S. border. They warn that the Canadian auto-parts sector – where companies have customers and factories in the United States – is now at a competitive disadvantage in relation to American rivals, who face no pandemic travel restrictions travelling state to state.
Biden’s stimulus plan, upward revisions to U.S. economic growth add to market’s bullish sentiment: The imminent passage of Joe Biden’s stimulus plan is sending a jolt through Wall Street, with one prominent forecaster declaring the stage is now set for the fastest U.S. expansion in more than 60 years.
Toronto Raptors to feature all-female broadcast crew for March 24 game: The Toronto Raptors will have women in every on-air role on a televised game later this month. “We wanted to highlight the contributions that women make individually – across so many broadcasts – by bringing them all together,” John Wiggins, Raptors vice-president of organizational diversity and inclusion, said.
MORNING MARKETS
Global stocks steady: Global stocks steadied on Tuesday, supported by stronger U.S. equity futures and a decline in U.S. and European bond yields. Just before 6 a.m. ET, Britain’s FTSE 100 rose 0.45 per cent. Germany’s DAX and France’s CAC 40 gained 0.28 per cent and 0.10 per cent. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei rose 0.99 per cent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng added 0.81 per cent. New York futures were higher. The Canadian dollar was trading at 79.32 US cents.
TODAY’S EDITORIAL CARTOON
Brian GableBrian Gable/The Globe and Mail
LIVING BETTER
The right mix for longevity: three vegetable and two fruit servings a day
It’s advice we’ve heard many times: Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables each day. Doing so is tied to a slower rate of cognitive decline, healthy blood pressure and a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. According to new research, a produce-rich diet is also associated with a lower risk of premature death. And, it doesn’t take as much as you might think.
MOMENT IN TIME: MARCH 9, 1988
British actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn with local children on her first field mission for UNICEF in Ethiopia in March 1988.Derek Hudson/Getty Images
Audrey Hepburn is appointed a Unicef Special Ambassador
Audrey Hepburn was more than another famous face who could bring attention to the plight of the children helped by the United Nations. She had been one of those children. Born in Brussels in 1929, she lived in Nazi-occupied Holland. After liberation, Hepburn, a teenager, received aid from the Red Cross and a UN agency that would evolve into the United Nations Children’s Fund. Hepburn became a movie star, with films such as Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But she left the limelight to quietly raise her two sons. In 1988, she returned to a different kind of stage to shine the spotlight on children. She did not go lightly into the role. She left almost immediately for Ethiopia, which was devastated by drought and famine. “In Mehal Meda, she cradled screaming infants in the immunization tent and chatted, despite the lack of a common language, to young women suckling babies. Her compassion and tenderness came from deep inside,” Unicef’s John Williams wrote when Hepburn died in 1993. Afterward, Hepburn spoke to Western media for weeks, giving up to 15 interviews a day. “I’m happy to do it,” she told Global News in 1988, “because for children, I’d go to the moon.” Marsha Lederman
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