A six-year mandate would allow the ombudsman to bridge the gap between two governments. This would preclude lending political overtones to the ombudsman position.
Getting back to Mr. Frost's views on the ombudsman's role, if the position was legally mandated, more than likely he would report to the government. However, if he reported only to the government, there could conceivably be a secretariat with which all ombudsmen would be associated. In that case, the head of the secretariat would be the one reporting to Parliament, whereas the different ombudsmen would report to their respective departments, given that we also believe in ministerial responsibility.