Would you care if all of your subordinates who had US jump wings suddenly started wearing them?
Leadership is from the top down, no? From http://www.forces.gc.ca/en/about-policies-standards-queens-regulations-orders-vol-01/toc-04.page
4.02 - GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF OFFICERS
(1)
An officer shall:
a.
become acquainted with, observe and enforce:
i.the National Defence Act,
ii.the Security of Information Act,
iii.QR&O, and
iv.
all other regulations, rules, orders and instructions that pertain to the performance of the officer's duties;
That would include CF dress regulations. It sets the "we are GOFO/Snr Officer/Jnr Officers/CWOs/MWOs/WOs/Sgts, we can bend the rules that we are actually supposed to enforce" precedent. If its not a big deal for our most senior ranks to do it, it should be even LESS of a deal if our OCdts, 2Lts, Cpls and Pte's do it.
But the last few years have shown us its not about leadership sometimes, its about getting the new bling. Example, the "new" Wings for RCAF personnel that are approved but not produced in mass and distributed yet, but our senior leaders and a select few are sporting the new bling so they have their LCF goin' on while the people at the op level wait. The Wings themselves aren't much of a big deal (the less I am in DEU and more I am in a flight suit, the happier I am...), the message of "the troops DON'T come first" is a big deal (to me).