Canada’s new defence minister, Anita Anand, has met with military leadership just two days after being sworn into her role.
She is vowing to make the battle against sexual misconduct in the military her priority.
Anand tweeted about the meeting, saying the Canadian Armed Forces have supported communities across the country through the pandemic, proving yet again our defence team is a crucial part of our nation’s fabric.
During this pandemic, our @CanadianForces have supported communities across the country — proving yet again that our Defence Team is a crucial part of our nation's fabric. Today, I met CAF and @NationalDefence leaders at Headquarters and thanked them for their hard work. pic.twitter.com/khixy1HuXY
— Anita Anand (@AnitaOakville) October 28, 2021
Multiple senior members of the military have been removed from posts or placed on leave due to allegations of misconduct.
After taking over the position in Tuesday’s cabinet shuffle, Anand says her priority is to keep members of the armed forces safe and protected while making sure that they have access to proper supports and systems in place to achieve justice.
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Global News first reported the allegations’ existence in February, and the fact it was first flagged to — now former — minister Harjit Sajjan three years earlier, setting off a chain of events that saw the actions of other senior officers – as well as the government – come under the microscope.
Before Anand took over for Sajjan, many had called for the former defence minister to be replaced as saying he has lost all credibility on the file.