Thank you.
I have a couple of comments, and maybe I'll end up with a question.
I think it's really clear that this committee and this government wanted to move ahead with an ombudsman. You've cleared the road in terms of some of the questions that have come about in terms of the department, in terms of resistance, and in fact the endorsement of an ombudsman by your department. I think that's a great step.
Then I think it's up to us. We have met with a number of witnesses who have given us a variety of comments that have drawn us somewhat down the funnel of understanding what an ombudsman will do and can do, and some of the make-up.
I guess what I'm looking for is this. We do not want to short-cut the options that we have to look at. We have one chance to do it right; we should do it right the first time and not have to come back and redo a lot of things. I think we all recognize that nothing is ever cast in stone, and that there has to be some life to everything we do in terms of changing times as things go on, and we have witnessed that from what we call our traditional veterans to our modern-day veterans. So we must have something that's flexible in terms of what an ombudsman is going to be able to deal with.
I think this committee now has an obligation to make some decisions. We are the parliamentarians. We are the ones who have been gathering this information from a number of people. We will make the decisions, and the minister and the deputy ministers and the administration will carry out and get the resources to put it together.
I guess what I'm looking for now, so that we can move ahead--and I believe we can, because if it slows up, we will be the ones slowing it up. I mean, following parliamentary process, which is a drag at the best of times...but unless we get in the way of it, it will still be possible to move things along. So I think it will be the willingness of this committee to move along.
In listening to our witness, Mr. Hillier, about where it's going to be, where the staffing is, what is going to be required in it, what input do we want as a committee, I think we have to be clear to our department about what we want our input to be, so they can give the options to us.
I'm not going to pick sides on this thing. We're all here for the one objective, and that is to get an ombudsman in place. I think that's been clearly laid out and talked about by everyone, and I think everybody's on side for that.
Mr. Chairman, my question, then, is focused around what is the next step so that we can move ahead, clearly defined by this committee. Have we all the information we want? If we don't, now is the time to ask. I don't think it's fair to any ministry staff for us to send them out and then not give clear direction, because we're the ones who carry that responsibility.
To move to our next meeting and to our next step, then, maybe as a committee, after our witness leaves, we need to sit down and give some clear direction today about what our next step is. We need to move ahead and not become the obstacle, so that it doesn't take five years.
That's all I have to say. Thank you.