Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence introduced a new ombudsman today. I congratulate the new ombudsman and wish him well on his new job.
Unfortunately the minister did not go far enough. Even with the latest allegations of sexual abuse in the military, this minister refuses to act to create an office of the inspector general. He refuses to create an atmosphere that will lead to a more vigilant parliament.
When asked, this new ombudsman said he has not been told what his budget will be, how many staff he will have and has been given virtually no guidelines. Not a very auspicious beginning.
The minister can be assured that we will watch closely to see if he and his department will allow this new ombudsman to do his job. The complaints are piling up and there is a lot of work to be done.