The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, today thanked and expressed his gratitude to outgoing Department of National Defence (DND) and Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Ombudsman, Mr. Gregory A. Lick, for his dedicated service.

“Mr. Lick has served the CAF, their families, and DND employees with distinction during his time as Ombudsman. His advice has been an important part of the government’s work to ensure Defence Team members are protected, respected, and empowered to serve. His commitment to fairness, transparency, and accountability has allowed the voices of the Defence community to be heard. I look forward to continuing this important work with Ms. Hynes over the coming months.”

The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

• Mr. Gregory Lick assumed the role of Ombudsman for DND/CAF in November 2018.

• The Office of the Ombudsperson was created in 1998 to increase DND/CAF openness and transparency, and to advocate for the fair treatment of concerns raised by Defence Team members and CAF members’ families.

• In 2022–23, the General Investigations team within the Office of the Ombudsperson closed 133 files. Of these, 125 were related to the CAF and eight to the DND. The team also issued 53 recommendations, all of which were accepted by DND/CAF.

Associated links

• To contact the Ombudsperson
• Information about the Ombudsperson’s office
• DND/CAF Ombudsperson reports
• Ombudsperson Advisory Committee

Diana Ebadi
Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
Office of the Minister of National Defence
Email: Diana.Ebadi@forces.gc.ca

Media Relations
Department of National Defence
Phone: 613-904-3333
Email: mlo-blm@forces.gc.ca