“I don't like that the government is shutting down debate on this bill. It's bad to silence the voices of veterans and people who experienced military sexual trauma. The government shouldn't ignore the amendments we all agreed on in committee. Why is the minister ignoring these people and not giving them a choice in what justice system to use?”
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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.
“Why are you rushing this bill through instead of getting it right for veterans and survivors? You had 10 years to fix this, but now you're forcing it to move forward quickly.”
“The Liberals are shutting down debate to rush this through. That's bad. My job is to debate this properly so we get a good outcome. The justice system needs modernization and we should listen to victims and survivors. Did the minister talk to any of them?”
“I don't like that the Liberals are limiting debate on this bill. I want them to admit they are wrong and allow more debate. They don't care about veterans or the military.”
“I want you to cheer for the military with me. I think the government is being unfair and it looks bad for them to shut down debate. I want to criticize the government.”
“I want to criticize the Defence Minister for re-introducing an old bill. He didn't talk to veterans, the justice system, or provinces. He should have listened to veterans and given victims a choice between the military or civilian systems. He didn't listen to police or his own people. They could have told him what changes are needed. I want to make him look bad for not listening.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”