Commonwealth Ombudsman’s 2007–08 annual report released

Nearly 40,000 people contacted the office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman for assistance during 2007–08 — a 20% increase on the previous year.

Commonwealth Ombudsman, Prof. John McMillan, said that his annual report tabled in Parliament today highlights the problems encountered in government decision making and how his office has helped people navigate the complexities of government administration.

‘The areas of biggest increase in complaints tended to be where a new or revised government program was implemented that advantaged some people and disadvantaged others’, Prof. McMillan said. ‘Another big driver of complaints was the complexity of the laws and programs administered by government agencies.’

‘A change in government services or business practices is sure to generate complaints about the changes and how they impact on people. The integrity of a new program will partially rest on whether those grievances can be raised and answered in a fair and independent manner. Complaint handling, in that sense, can bolster public confidence that unpopular decisions are properly made.’

The report also draws out themes by pointing to the broader lessons that a single complaint or problem can teach. ‘Administrative errors can be one-off or exceptional, but just as commonly they point to a weakness in an agency’s processes’, Prof McMillan said. ‘A strong theme in our work in the past year was to explain how complaints can provide a window on larger problems that need to be corrected. The lesson can be just as relevant to other agencies.’

In 2007–08, the Ombudsman’s office:

  • received 39,932 approaches and complaints—an increase of 20% on the previous year
  • handled complaints made about 110 Australian Government departments and agencies
  • finalised 19,126 approaches and complaints within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction, and handled 20,311 approaches related to out-of-jurisdiction matters and requests for information
  • published reports on 14 own motion and major investigations of which four related to DIAC; one to the Department of Defence; one to Comcare; two related to Australia Post and two to Welfare to Work issues—some of these investigations were triggered by individual complaints which pointed to a systemic or structural problem in government that warranted broader investigation
  • conducted 171 outreach activities throughout Australia
  • reviewed the circumstances of people who have been in immigration detention for two years or more and provided the Minister for Immigration with 225 reports
  • inspected the records of the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission and some other agencies for statutory compliance relating to telecommunication interceptions and access, use of surveillance devices and controlled (covert) operations
  • launched a series of Ombudsman e-bulletins to provide to a wider audience , particularly staff in agencies, a sample of recent complaints and the lessons that can be drawn from them
  • focused on activities to broaden the social impact of high quality complaint investigation services in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and selected Pacific Island countries.

Around 78% of complaints focused on six agencies with high volume public contact—Australia Post, the Australian Taxation Office, Centrelink, the Child Support Agency, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC), and the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

The report also sets out some of the challenges faced by the office in discharging its new function of reviewing complaint handling in the Australian Federal Police, and dealing with complaints about the Northern Territory Emergency Response.

The diversity of complaint issues handled by the Ombudsman’s office illustrates the challenge that faces government agencies in maintaining a high standard of administrative practice and service delivery.

*Themes taken up in the report highlight the importance of good basic administration*—recordkeeping, letter writing, oral communication, reasons for decision, procedural fairness, complaint handling, staff training and case review. Problems that inconvenience or harm members of the public can arise in all areas of government and in the best-designed programs.

Full text of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Annual Report is available at www.ombudsman.gov.au.