Military lacks the power to address many soldiers' complaints about pay, benefits: report

A new report from Canada's military watchdog says the leadership of the Armed Forces is often hamstrung in its ability to address grievances from within the ranks.

The report by Gregory Lick, the Canadian Forces ombudsman, also says many of the complaints clogging the system relate to federal Treasury Board policies over which the military has little control.

«While Canadian Armed Forces members have the right to grieve compensation and benefits decisions, the Canadian Armed Forces may not have the authority to provide redress,» Lick wrote in a report released Tuesday.

The slow pace of the military grievance process has been cited repeatedly as one of the biggest problems for those in uniform. Some Armed Forces members can wait years for their complaints to be addressed, only to be told by senior brass that there's nothing that can be done about federal guidelines and regulations.

A recent review of the military justice system by retired Supreme Court justice Morris Fish singled out the grievance process as a major source of tension and reminded the federal government of its responsibility.

«It is bound to provide them with a better system of redress than its unacceptable grievance system now provides — nearly 20 years after its grievance system was found unacceptable by Chief Justice Lamer,» Fish wrote, adding the system's perceived unfairness has a profound effect on those serving.

«Delays of this sort undermine discipline, exemplify inefficiency and sap morale,» he wrote.

Lick himself has raised the issue on a number of occasions. During a 2021 news conference to address the sexual misconduct crisis, he warned that the grievance system was about to «collapse under its own weight.»

In 2023, it took 1,155 days to resolve