I'm glad that question was asked, Madam Chair.
In our democracy, our police are separate entities and independent for investigations. When complaints comes forward, they need to be thoroughly investigated, because there's a process that takes place. As a former police officer, I know that the integrity of the investigation has to be independent. If it ever goes to court, you need to be able to defend the entire process. That's what we're trying to do here.
We have people who have just come forward, and to make sure that they receive the proper respect and that the process is followed we need to protect the integrity of the investigation and not accidentally undermine it. It is completely independent of me, as minister; it is independent of the chain of command. That's exactly what we want, so that we can give the confidence to the members who have come forward that they will get the appropriate process and mechanism to support them during this difficult time.