Chapter 5
Engagement
Cooperation with other Australian Government integrity agencies and complaint–handling agencies, and other Australian Ombudsmen
The Ombudsman's office is one part of the Australian Government's 'integrity' group. We meet periodically with agencies that have a similar oversight role, such as the Inspector–General of Intelligence and Security, the Australian National Audit Office, the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity, the Inspector–General of Taxation and the Australian Human Rights Commission. These meetings enable us to discuss issues in common, and to ensure we complement each other's work and avoid any unnecessary duplication of effort. In addition, as discussed in the section on Defence in Chapter 6—Looking at the agencies, together with the Inspector–General of the Australian Defence Force and the ANU's Australian Centre for Military Law and Justice, we hosted a seminar Defence Watchdogs: the administrative oversight of military justice to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Defence Force Ombudsman.
We also work with other Ombudsmen and integrity agencies to jointly promote our services. We participated in a joint program of information sessions at 13 universities and technical colleges in Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney during Orientation Week in February 2009. Staff from our office joined with representatives from the Financial Ombudsman Service, Energy Ombudsman Queensland, the Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW, Energy and Water Ombudsman Victoria, the Public Transport Ombudsman Victoria, the Tasmanian Ombudsman and the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
The events provided the opportunity to engage with the student population, to explain the role of an ombudsman, the types of issues students can complain about and to which office they should take their concerns.
In April our office teamed with the office of the NSW Ombudsman, Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW and The Aged Care Rights Service to host information displays at the Royal Easter Show. The collaborative effort was coordinated through our office's participation in JOIN—Joint Outreach Initiative Network—a NSW–based committee of human rights, legal aid and complaint–handling agencies.
In May our office attended Tasmania's AGFEST—the largest farming and rural industry show in Australia—and teamed with the Financial Ombudsman Service, Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and Tasmanian Ombudsman to staff a large information display. The show presented an excellent opportunity to discuss the various roles and services of the Commonwealth Ombudsman with a broad range of people living in rural Australia.
The Ombudsman is a member of the Australian and New Zealand Ombudsman Association Inc (ANZOA). ANZOA is the peak body for Parliamentary and industry–based Ombudsmen in Australia and New Zealand. Our staff participate in various ANZOA sub–groups, looking at issues such as public relations and communications, learning and development, and information technology.
Deputy Ombudsmen from the different state and territory Ombudsman offices and the office of the New Zealand Ombudsman, as well as a Deputy Ombudsman from our office, meet twice a year to discuss a range of relevant issues, such as relations with Parliament, own motion investigations, quality assurance processes and training, and resource management and complaint–handling procedures.
Top
Previous
page | Next page—Chapter 5–International cooperation and regional support 