No, I think you've stated the case very well. Yes, the ombudsman should definitely be able to conduct investigations. I think they should report to Parliament and not to any particular department. If they report to a department, there may be the understanding....
We're supposed to have a Veterans Review and Appeal Board, which is supposed to be independent. You ask any veteran, especially if his appeal has been turned down, and he'll say, “All these guys work for Veterans Affairs, and they don't want to pay us—that's it”. So the independence is important. They should be seen as independent. They should have the right to call witnesses and, if necessary, do inquiries and make changes. That's the only way you're going to get confidence.
I would like to mention the Veterans Review and Appeal Board, because this is the same sort of thing. At one time an appointment to the Veterans Review and Appeal Board was a political reward, a Privy Council position. If you were a good party worker, it made no difference whether you knew anything about veterans, whether you knew the difference between a bunker and a Bren gun.
I understand these positions are now being filled by competition. But I would say that I'm still disappointed. The new appointees, I still haven't seen one of them with any military service. This is part of the problem. They do not understand our language. Our veterans' world is different. If I told you I lived in a hoochie, it probably wouldn't mean anything to you. To a veteran it would mean that I lived in one of those holes in the ground.