That's interesting. That's the first time that question has been put to me. I hadn't thought of it myself. As Mr. Thibault would tell you, when you are appearing before a committee, you're trying to sort out what some of these questions might be, anticipating some of them, and just guessing about some of them as well. That is one I hadn't thought of. Thinking in terms of the question and your reflections on the ombudsman, I would say that it is.
I believe in openness and transparency in how information is transmitted. Just for an individual or a patient to know that person is there to serve them and the operation of the hospital overall probably would be enhanced by the ombudsman.
It's like Parliament. I believe Parliament works when we have openness, when things can be openly debated, and if you have a complaint, there's a place to take it. It creates another level of openness that otherwise might not occur.
There are facilities where ombudsmen aren't present. That is a huge facility, but it appears to be working well. If I'm not mistaken, it's one of the areas the Royal Canadian Legion initially identified as a model of the ombudsman working fairly well at Ste. Anne's Hospital.
It's a point well taken, Mr. Valley, and I think it's an example of how an ombudsman can do good work for all of us.