Lt.-Gen Wayne Eyre salutes after laying a wreath during a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of V-J Day and the end of the Second World War, at the National War Memorial in Ottawa on Aug. 15, 2020.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Acting chief of the defence staff Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre vowed to focus on changing the culture in the Canadian military during his time as top commander, as two military police investigations are under way into now-retired general Jonathan Vance and Admiral Art McDonald, who initially replaced the former defence chief.
Speaking at the Ottawa Conference on Security and Defence on Thursday, Lt.-Gen. Eyre said parts of the military’s culture are exclusionary and harmful. He said the environment in some corners allows racism, discrimination, harassment and sexual misconduct. He said these issues are systemic: “We cannot accept our own people being harmed from within.”
Lt.-Gen. Eyre said it’s been two weeks since he was named acting chief of the defence staff and that it’s been “quite a blur” and distressing for everyone in the defence community.
National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan named Lt.-Gen. Eyre acting chief of the defence staff after Adm. McDonald stepped aside from the position because he is under investigation. Adm. McDonald had recently replaced Mr. Vance, who is under investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct from his time as chief of the defence staff.
Lt.-Gen. Eyre said one of the first things he did after his appointment was to ask subordinate commanders to have a series of discussions down the chain and report back to him about how people felt about recent events involving the allegations.
“Shock, disappointment, betrayal, a desire for due process, sadness, a questioning of personal identity, a desire for real change and a steely-eyed determination to get on with the business of defending our country,” he said of the responses.
Lt.-Gen. Eyre said that while the military has worked to increase understanding and awareness of its values and responsibilities, there are still some who perpetuate harm and there are barriers to inclusion. He said people are still fearful of repercussions if they report an incident, and this must change.
He also said the military must be open to solutions – whether those ideas come from outside the organization or from within.
“I know that leadership will be a critical component at all levels … leadership that is accountable for nurturing and sustaining change. And this takes action starting from the top.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said earlier this week that the government would create an independent mechanism for members of the military to report allegations of sexual misconduct. It’s something experts have long called for and comes in the wake of criticism over how Mr. Trudeau’s government responded to allegations against top officials.
Specifically, the Defence Minister has been criticized over the way he responded when then-military ombudsman Gary Walbourne told him about an allegation of inappropriate sexual behaviour against Mr. Vance, who was defence chief at the time.
Mr. Walbourne told a parliamentary committee recently that, in 2018, Mr. Sajjan refused to look at evidence he had regarding the allegation and that after Mr. Walbourne told the minister the complainant asked to keep the information confidential, Mr. Sajjan informed the Privy Council Office of the allegation.
Mr. Sajjan has said that he looks forward to testifying before the parliamentary committee for a second time, and he is scheduled to appear Friday.
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