Women take charge of key portfolios in Justin Trudeau's new cabinet
As any student of government will tell you, there are
traditional levers of power in Ottawa: Finance, Foreign Affairs and Defense
They constitute the power to spend and make economic policy,
the power to manage the country's image abroad and the power to defend
ourselves in a time of crisis.
Those levers are now — for the first time in Canada —
collectively in the hands of women: Chrystia Freeland at Finance; Melanie Joly
at Global Affairs; and Anita Anand at the Department of National Defense.
Who's who in Justin Trudeau's 2021 cabinet
"I really, really hope that this is the new norm,
rather than just a moment in time where we have women in big files and
influential power in government," said Charlotte Duval-Lantoine, a fellow
with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute.
Inarguably, Anand has been given the most politically
troublesome post. She has been vested with the expectation of bringing about
meaningful change in a hidebound military institution which has lurched from
crisis to crisis since allegations of sexual misconduct rocked its senior
leadership.
The last woman to hold the defense portfolio was Kim
Campbell three decades ago.
Since Anand, the former procurement minister, is walking
into the centre of a legal and social hurricane — with nearly a dozen flag and
general officers on leave, or facing investigation, or leaving the military
altogether — Duval-Lantoine said people should temper their expectations.
She said it's critical to attribute the future success or
failures of all three women not to their gender, but rather their decisions.
Appointments bring 'hope, but with caution'
Each of the ministers will need rock-solid support from
their staff and the political backing of the prime minister's office to drive
the necessary change, said Duval-Lantoine.
The appointments, unveiled Tuesday, "bring a lot of
hope, but with caution," she said.
Megan MacKenzie, an expert in security studies and military
culture at Burnaby, B.C.-based Simon Fraser University, said the appointments
go beyond gender parity and place real power to shape the country's future in
the hands of women.
"They represent a next phase of leadership," said
MacKenzie.
"These are three huge portfolios and they're being led
by women who are relatively early in their careers," she said. "These
are women who've shown themselves capable and have not had decades and decades
and decades in the service of the party."
They are, said MacKenzie, part of a generation of women in
high-pressure, high-profile positions who've had to balance a number of
competing demands — professional and personal.
Anand touched on that theme in her remarks following the
cabinet swearing-in on Tuesday.
"I am a determined person," said Anand. "I
work very hard and I focus on results."
She turned aside questions about how to restore trust in an
institution that has been badly damaged and — according to the country's top
military commander — having trouble recruiting and retaining people. Anand said
she hasn't met yet with defence officials, nor been briefed, but believes her
background as lawyer and in corporate governance will be important moving
forward.
The symbolism of having a woman leading the defence ministry
is important, especially at this juncture of the sexual misconduct crisis, but
it is not a silver bullet solution, said Duval-Lantoine.
"I do not believe appointing a woman is solving the
issue, per se," said Duval-Lantoine.
"It is a short-sighted view because sexual misconduct
is not just a woman's issue, necessarily."
She went on to cite numerous cases of men being assaulted in
the military.
Cultural changes within the military
The problem, Duval-Lantoine said, is what's being described
as the culture of impunity among senior leaders, an environment where certain
individuals are protected no matter what they do or how badly they perform.
And that is not just a problem for the military, she said,
it extends into the civilian and political spheres where former defence
minister Harjit Sajjan was accused of mishandling the misconduct issue.
"The trust in the office of the minister of national
defence has been broken, and that goes beyond Sajjan," said
Duval-Lantoine. "One of the first steps she will have to do is work
towards re-establishing trust."
Anand must come out within a few days and firmly state how
committed she is to addressing this issue and taking action "in the
immediate future," said MacKenzie, adding that Anand positioning herself
as the authority on misconduct is crucial to arresting the downward spiral of
the military.
"I think we haven't had either the prime minister or
the minister of defence previously situate themselves as the person who is
willing to take responsibility and to lead on this issue."
Beyond sexual misconduct, MacKenzie said Anand should consider updating the country's defence policy in light of the evolving geo-political landscape, which includes the rise of China and ongoing, sometimes belligerent rivalry with Russia.
"I think post-Afghanistan this is a very important
moment for regrouping defence commitments and thinking seriously about the fact
that Canadians contributed to an international military mission that is largely
seen to have been a failure," said MacKenzie.
"I think that is a conversation that hasn't
happened."
Anand's time at public services and procurement will also
possibly put her in a good position for major decisions that will be made on
her watch, including the purchase of new fighter jets and the contracting for
the construction of the navy's new frigates.
Source CBC
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