“I want to defend the military justice system changes. The member is leaving out that all cases are already sent to civilian courts. We have made progress and changes since 2021. We implemented most of Justice Arbour's recommendations. Blocking this would undo progress. I trust the justices and defence staff.”
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Military Justice System Modernization Act
A bill to modernize Canada's military justice system, responding to recommendations from third-party reports. The changes include removing military jurisdiction over sexual assault cases committed in Canada, expanding eligibility to be a military judge, and affirming the independence of military justice authorities. During debate, the Liberals used closure to limit discussion. The Conservatives accused them of rushing the bill and not allowing enough time for debate and input from stakeholders like veterans. The Liberals argued they had followed due process, with the bill going through extensive consultations and committee review, and that further amendments from the opposition had been ruled out of order. Both sides traded accusations of the other not supporting military members and veterans.
“The government is being arrogant. They used floor crossers to get a majority. Now they ignore the committee's amendments and work. The people gave them a minority mandate to collaborate, but they don't respect that. They're excluding other voices. Why won't the government respect the committee's work and elected MPs? The floor crossers don't represent everyone.”
“You're complaining about the amendments we removed. The Speaker already ruled them out of order. And we're making progress! We've implemented almost all of Justice Arbour's recommendations. This bill will make big changes: military sexual assault cases will transfer to civilian courts. It follows Justice Fish's recommendations to improve military justice. We need to pass this bill now.”
“I'm filling time with kind words about our record. I'll say we spend lots on the military. Many Canadians want to join. But those bad Conservatives want to debate this bill and run out the clock. I won't let them! This bill must pass now. It will make people trust the military again.”
“I want to spend more on the military. I want to change how they handle justice. I think this will make the military better.”
“I want to talk about the Prime Minister. He said he would move fast. Now he moves fast to ignore parts of the government I like. I don't like that.”
“No. The Prime Minister said we would spend a lot of money very fast. He kept his word. He spent a lot of money very fast. You didn't vote for it.”
“You won't listen to us anymore. The people elected us to work together. You ignore that now. You ignore the committee. You ignore amendments. You just do whatever you want.”
“We must change the military. I want you to vote for my bill. It will fix everything.”
“I'm Shelby Kramp-Neuman. In committee, many veterans shared sad stories. They want choice. The Minister of National Defence promised a good system. How can we trust him if he forces survivors into a civilian system? It doesn't make sense.”
“I'm David McGuinty. Justice Arbour says victims shouldn't choose between military and civilian courts. We should listen to her. It's too much stress for victims to choose. The military option isn't as good. Victims need clarity and certainty. I want to support them.”
“I'm Jean-Denis Garon. The government bought a majority. They're undoing democratic work. Forcing through a gag order. The minister can't answer questions without a script. He should stand up, leave his notes, and say if he really thinks this is democratic.”
“I'm the defence minister. I'll repeat my talking point again, now in French. Victims should have clarity and trust. Choosing between military or civilian court is a 'false choice.' It puts a burden on them. It's unequal and could have command interference. They shouldn't have to pick when they're stressed and traumatized.”
“This is a sad day for democracy. The defence minister keeps talking about the Arbour report from seven years ago. The government only started using it five years ago. Things have changed a lot since then. We heard from military members and veterans at committee. They know better than the government what systems we need. But the government ignores them and throws out all the committee recommendations. The government just wants an audience, not an opposition.”
“I don't like the member's tone. He should remember the chief spoke to a lot of people before. He shouldn't question us. This bill will make things better.”