Military ‘poorly implemented, discarded’ 20 years of recommendations on racism, discrimination: advisory panel

Twenty years' worth of recommendations to tackle systemic racism and discrimination in the Canadian Armed Forces were poorly implemented, shelved or discarded," found an advisory panel report released Monday.

The panel found an institution that faces challenges in detecting white supremacists trying to join the military - as well as to root out those already in the forces - and an organization whose membership is not at all reflective of the diversity of Canadian society, particularly in the senior ranks.

The failure of the defence team to be representative of Canadian demographics is rooted in the system that was created by European settlers," the panel said.

The systemic and cultural racism that is institutionalized in regulations, norms, and common world views in the defence team is a direct consequence of Canada's colonial past and the associated treatment of Indigenous, Black and racialized people."

The military and defence department also fail in adequately tracking progress on becoming more inclusive, and must become a data-driven organization," the panel said.

The advisory panel on systemic racism and discrimination, comprised of four retired military members, was struck by former defence minister Harjit Sajjan in December 2020. Among other things, it was tasked with providing recommendations on eliminating systemic racism and discrimination, and white supremacy, in the military.

The report was delivered to Defence Minister Anita Anand on Jan. 7 and released Monday, almost four months later.

Failure to remove existing systemic barriers will continue to negatively impact operational capabilities, undermine the well-being of defence team members, and put the security of Canada in peril," the panel concluded.

In addition to stories of sexual misconduct, this advisory panel heard numerous accounts from members of the defence team that highlighted systemic barriers: persistent racial discrimination for Black and racialized members, harassment of women and members of the LGBTQ2+ community, lack of informed medical support for transgender transformations, neglect of persons with disabilities and a disregard for the importance of partnership with Indigenous peoples."

The panel noted that there have been 258 recommendations addressing diversity, inclusion and professional conduct stemming from 41 inquiries, surveys and reviews over the last 20 years, and yet few recommendations have been carried out with diligence and discipline."

The department of national defence and Canadian Armed Forces do not need to wait for an external team such as this panel to tell them what to do, nor do they need new recommendations to address racism and discrimination," the panel said.

It is quite clear that the defence team knows how to move quickly in the right direction, if it has the will."

Senior leaders told a media briefing last month that the military remains too white and male as it struggles to find new recruits in an ever-evolving global security environment. About 71 per cent of its workforce is now made up of white men, a demographic that makes up just 39 per cent of the civilian workforce

At the time, Lt.-Gen. Jennie Carignan, the CAF's chief of professional conduct and culture, said that a lack of inclusion is a major barrier to both retention and recruitment."

The advisory panel's top recommendation was to set up a process to review recommendations from previous studies - something the military recently established, having launched a committee that will review and co-ordinate responses to previous recommendations.

The panel also recommended the defence team strengthen and properly resource its defence advisory groups - comprised of members from equity-seeking groups including women, Black and Indigenous people.

The military must also improve education and awareness at all levels" about Indigenous issues, and specifically track the career development of Black people, with the panel noting they are not adequately represented at the senior leadership level."

An ongoing concern" for military intelligence is keeping white supremacists out of the military and defence department, the panel said. It noted that the recruitment process includes a thorough review of social media posts from potential recruits," but that white supremacists and extremists are becoming much more sophisticated.

Recruiters are not all trained and knowledgeable about methods to detect certain types of behaviour that would indicate affiliation with extremist groups or a penchant for extremist behaviours," the panel said.

It said the need for education and training to detect white supremacy, terrorism and neo-Nazism at levels of the military was highlighted repeatedly" during consultations.

Funding, expertise, and human resources are currently not adequate to address the imperative that every leader become the first line of defence in ensuring that members of these groups stay out of or leave the defence team," the panel said.

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter covering politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @JacquesGallant