I will admit that I do not have a strong opinion or strong view either way about the reporting mechanism for organizations like the ombudsman. I do know and am proud to tell you that we have a good, solid relationship. We meet frequently and value the input of these various independent actors.
I just had the opportunity to review a draft report that the ombudsman is going to come out with related to what we're discussing here, and I'm very supportive of it. When we meet, the list of issues we hear from our members and the challenges they face is virtually the same.
In terms of the Military Police Complaints Commission and its annual report, this is a case of two reasonable actors having a disagreement on certain things, like what constitutes a policing-related complaint, or the access or releasability of information when it's protected by solicitor-client privilege. They're asking for the courts to determine where that line is. This is a rational way of addressing the challenge.
In terms of the degree of independence—whether they report to the minister or to Parliament—I am not convinced either way that this would affect their investigations. I am happy with the relationship that I have with them, and I value their advice.