I fully agree.
Honourable members, I'd like to draw a comparison with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms adopted in 1982, which has changed a lot since its passage as a result of court decisions. The Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, however, has not undergone any changes in six years. It is a theoretical vehicle, but theory must be put into practice. Because complaints are not managed by a single entity, like the ombudsman's office, it's impossible to get a true picture of how weak this bill is and what victims think about it.
Ms. Illingworth, the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime, is quite right to say that her office should be responsible for administering complaints. I would add that she needs to be completely independent, because the nature of her position would risk putting her in a conflict of interest with the minister if she had to investigate complaints concerning her department.
The ombudsman should therefore report directly to the House of Commons, as the correctional investigator does. It's up to all MPs to evaluate the quality of this bill and ensure that federal agencies comply with it. The ombudsman's independence is very important.