Mr. Chairman, I'd say categorically not. In fact, in the deputy minister's policy statement regarding the sharing of information with the Office of the Veterans Ombudsman, she clearly states that she will determine what information she will release to me so as not to constrain my ability to comment publicly. Fundamentally, that's controlling the message.
I don't know if the committee will remember, but initially I was very optimistic about my mandate in the order in council I was given, for two reasons. First, every member of the department and the Veterans Review and Appeal Board expressed to me their complete loyalty and dedication to veterans. Second, I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone couldn't have that kind of commitment to our veterans.
I found halfway through my third and final year, particularly among central agencies and senior management within the department, that the commitment was a thin veneer. I'd be the first to say that the order in council, that optimism, is now completely gone. In the absence of a legislated mandate, this could happen all over again.