Mr. Speaker, we have always taken allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and referred them to the appropriate authorities. When the ombudsman came forward to the minister to say he had heard allegations, the minister directed him to those independent authorities who could follow up on an investigation. Those are the people who need to do the independent, rigorous investigations. We have always ensured those people are able to do rigorous follow-ups. In this case, there was not enough information to continue with the independent investigation.
In the House of Commons on March 10th, 2021. See this statement in context.