First of all, it is absolutely important that the conversations and meetings be kept confidential, because the ombudsman's office itself is an independent body so that people can come forward; so that when people come forward, they can have trust that their allegations will be heard and also that their conversation can be kept private.
The ombudsman's office independently has the ability to go to the appropriate agencies to start those types of investigations. I as a minister don't have the authority to conduct criminal investigations; nor should I, in our democracy.
It's to protect the people who are coming forward; it's also making sure that we encourage people to come forward. We need these independent bodies to give confidence to the system. Otherwise, we'll be undermining it.
I also want to state here, as I stated two weeks ago, that I was just as shocked as everyone else to learn about these allegations that are currently under investigation.