So, the national defence and Canadian forces ombudsman is not supported by any federal legislation. This position was created by the department and the general-in-chief to appease the Canadian citizens.
If this is the kind of ombudsman we want to have, let the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Greg Thompson, choose the way he wants to go about it.
The ombudsman should not be considered an enemy, but an ally of the department. Above all, he or she is a person who will look after the interests of veterans and make recommendations to the department. This position will have to be establish through a piece of legislation. Otherwise, we are doing all of this for nothing, and we will end up with an ombudsman who will be controlled by the minister, just like the existing ombudsman is.