It would give victims of serious offences like sexual assault a voice in the military justice system.

Thus far, the Liberal Party brass' response has been inconsistent and confusing, which are cardinal sins when dealing with allegations of sexual misconduct.

Canada's military is already present around the world — just not always as peacekeepers.

Sandra Perron was Canada's first female infantry officer.

They, by the way, believe they will win it.

This isn't the first time Canada's Armed Forces have been linked to organized racism.

As a Sikh myself, I admit to reacting to Sajjan's appointment as defence minister with some pride. He was considered a decorated, brave warrior and a role model. As a government minister he came across as a member of cabinet the prime minister could rely on to do their job and get results. This makes his graceless fall all the more disappointing.

It's never too late to shed light on the lesser known parts of Canada's history, pre- and post-Confederation.

The Trudeau government's second budget is more a cautionary one than one with the revolutionary zeal of the first. The budget does show us that the military is not a priority, with no increases and deferred spending on purchasing for eight years. From the time of Trudeau's father and former prime minister Pierre Trudeau to the times of Jean Chretien, the military has never been the priority of the Liberals.

We cannot continue to hide from the truth. We broke them; we owe them. No amount of re-framing will change that fact. If these veterans made it home from a war, then we should be able to stop them being further casualties.

Canadian Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan has been dragging his feet about deploying Canadian peacekeepers to Mali. Canada should never again contribute troops to the endless UN-led peace missions that pop up around the world. In 70 years of peacekeeping, I'm at a loss to think of a single mission that succeeded.

Canada needs to understand that we are a sovereign country and it is our job to decide whether we deploy troops or not, and where we do so. Having a great relationship with a country can also mean telling them "no" is possible, especially when it comes to our foreign policy.

They have demonized Lionel Desmond as a typical example of male entitlement and bemoan the media portraying Lionel as a victim - when the lack of mental health services is central to this tragedy. Lionel was trying desperately to get help. Lionel was denied that help. The Desmond family is now dead.

We cannot allow ourselves to become content to remain what the Canadian minister of defence has called "an island of stability in an ocean of turmoil." The Canadian government must make the decision to go or not to go in Mali, or elsewhere in Africa, to provide assistance to peace-support operations.

It's horrifying to think that our soldiers are prone to an array of violence on the battlefield, but it's now clear there's widespread violence within the army's own ranks. A cycle of systematic abuse exists and nothing's being done to stop it.

While Canada pulled its fighter aircraft from the U.S.-led coalition earlier this year, the Canadian Forces still pull its share on the ground. Providing vital support to Peshmerga fighters through "advise-and-assist" operations, Canada has boots on the ground and is actively taking part in the battle.