The Conservatives and NDP took aim at the Liberals Wednesday in question period after a CTV News report revealed the government鈥檚 attempts to quash a class action lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct and discrimination within the Canadian Armed Forces.
鈥淭his Liberal government is arguing in court that they have no duty to provide a safe place for women to work in the armed forces,鈥� Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer said in question period.
鈥淭hat is shameful and it flies in the face of every phoney statement the prime minister has ever said on this issue,鈥� he added.
鈥淎nd the prime minister cannot blame a government lawyer,鈥� Scheer went on. 鈥淭he prime minister actually instituted a cabinet committee to oversee litigation, to put a political screen on all of these types of arguments, and you know who sits on that committee? The minister of justice.鈥�
Minister of Defence Harjit Sajjan responded, saying that 55 members 鈥渉ave been released鈥� from the Canadian Armed Forces due to the inappropriate sexual behavior since Sept. 2015.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Jonathan Vance said last April that he planned to remove any military members found guilty of sexual misconduct. The military has made extensive efforts to stamp out sexual misconduct, including through a plan called Operation Honour.
鈥淲e are committed to making sure we have a harassment-free workplace and (Operation) Honour is going to get that job done,鈥� Sajjan went on.
New Democrat House Leader Ruth Ellen Brosseau also blasted the Liberals.
鈥淏y attempting to quash the lawsuit, the example the prime minister is setting is completely irresponsible and reprehensible,鈥� said the Quebec MP. 鈥淲ill the prime minister withdraw the government鈥檚 attempts to discredit these victims?鈥�
Again, Sajjan stood to respond. 鈥淲e need to make sure we have a harassment free work place, especially in the Canadian Armed Forces and with our new defence policy and with Operation Honour we are going to get the job done,鈥� he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the federal lawyer鈥檚 views do 鈥渘ot align鈥� with his, or his Liberal government鈥檚 beliefs.
Trudeau said he has asked Justice Minister and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould to follow up with the lawyers, "to make sure that we argue things that are consistent with this government's philosophy.鈥�
Wilson-Raybould later told reporters that she 鈥渨ill look for opportunities where we can ensure where matters are in the public interest, that we will proceed on a less adversarial basis.鈥�
The federal government argued in court filings that it does not "owe a private law duty of care to individual members within the CAF to provide a safe and harassment-free work environment, or to create policies to prevent sexual harassment or sexual assault."
Veteran Amy Graham, one of the lead plaintiffs in the case, told CTV News that the Liberal government鈥檚 attempts to stop the lawsuit was contradictory to Trudeau鈥檚 public support for victims of sexual misconduct.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Mercedes Stephenson in Ottawa
