Hon. Marilou McPhedran: My question is to the Government Representative.

More than six months ago, the Honourable Louise Arbour, in her Independent External Comprehensive Review of the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, made 48 recommendations on how to change the way military sexual misconduct allegations are reported and handled. Days after the Arbour report was released in May, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand promised to report to Parliament by year’s end on the government’s implementation plan.

Senator Gold, it is now December 6, a day to focus on the continuum of violence against women and girls. With less than 10 sitting days remaining on the parliamentary calendar, can you please advise this chamber on when we will receive Minister Anand’s promised report on implementation of the Arbour recommendations and, in particular, which recommendations are being declined by the government?

Hon. Marilou McPhedran: Thank you very much, Senator Audette. Are you sure that this council has sufficient funding to ensure long-term sustainability?

Senator Audette: Thank you for your question. In the long term? I don’t have a magic wand to see what we need to do, but I can say that this requires a long-term commitment. Funding will be a daily reality for this not-for-profit organization. The commitment that we have right now, the information that I have right now, seeks to reassure us that this is a start. From what I understand, the organization will receive, if it hasn’t already, a charitable number, which will allow it to get funding from sources other than the federal government.

Yes, the federal government should fund the council for the long term, but the commitment that we have and the numbers that I have right now will be used to start the work and to invest.

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