Canadians skeptical military will address sexual misconduct scandal: internal poll

Nearly 40 per cent of respondents in a poll commissioned by National Defence weren’t confident the Canadian Armed Forces will deal with sexual misconduct appropriately.

Nearly 40 per cent of Canadians are not confident the Canadian Armed Forces will “appropriately” deal with allegations of sexual misconduct, according to internal National Defence polling reviewed by Global News.

And while the Canadian public continues to hold favourable views of their armed forces, the March 2022 report shows those positive feelings are declining amid ongoing misconduct scandals and concerns about racism within the ranks.

“I think there really is a crisis in trust in the Canadian public with the military, and that’s very unusual. The Canadian Forces have been the most trusted public institution for a very long time,” said Megan MacKenzie, the Simons Chair in International Law and Human Security at Simon Fraser University.

“But I think with the years of allegations and scandals, when it comes to sexual misconduct (and) also the recent report on racism within the forces and the presence of white supremacism within the forces, I think Canadians…feel at odds … with the culture (that) has developed, and also unsure that the current leadership is able to steer the institution in the right direction.”

While the Earnscliffe polling found that overall impressions of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) were mostly positive or neutral, “tracking data (over years) demonstrates that the degree of positivity towards the CAF is lower.”

In 2020, 43 per cent of respondents said their impression of those who serve in the CAF was strongly positive. The following year, just 35 per cent agreed.

The Canadian Armed Forces have been dealing with a sexual misconduct crisis since February 2021, when Global News first reported that Gen. Jonathan Vance, former chief of the defence staff, faced allegations of inappropriate behaviour from female subordinates after leaving the top military position.

That same month Vance’s replacement, Adm. Art McDonald, stepped aside after allegations against him surfaced in the media.