Hon. Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu: My question is for the Leader of the Government in the Senate. The position of Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime has been vacant since October 1, 2021. For the past two months, victims of crime have had no official representative within the federal government. The last time this position was vacant, in 2017, it took the Minister of Justice a year to fill the position, whereas around the same time, the position of Correctional Investigator, the ombudsman for criminals, was filled in a month.

Can you explain to the victims and to this chamber, during this week of action against violence against women, why the position is still vacant and when the Department of Justice plans to fill it?

Senator Boisvenu: The Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces recently requested that he no longer report to the Minister of National Defence in order to ensure independence in dealing with the complaints he receives. The Office of the Correctional Investigator also reports to Parliament, and therefore to the Minister of Public Safety, in order to maintain its independence. However, the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime reports to the Minister of Justice and depends on that minister’s goodwill to continue operating.

Senator Gold, will the government ensure that the two positions — the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime and the Ombudsman for the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces — are put on an equal footing, by having the Office of the Federal Ombudsman for Victims of Crime report to the House of Commons rather than the Minister of Justice?