Two hundred years on from the creation of the first ombudsman in Sweden in 1809, the need for an independent ‘watchdog’ to safeguard citizens in their dealings with government is more relevant than ever, with almost 46,000 people contacting the Commonwealth Ombudsman during the past year.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman 2008-2009 Annual Report tabled in Parliament today specifies that the majority (79%) of complaints dealt with by the Ombudsman were about the correctness, propriety or timeliness of government agency decisions or actions.

Others involved the accuracy or completeness of advice (12%), the application of policy or legislation to individual circumstances (6%), or public servant conduct (4%).

‘Everyone is entitled to be treated fairly by government,’ Commonwealth Ombudsman Professor John McMillan said. ‘My office plays a vital role in ensuring that happens by taking an active interest in accountability, transparency and integrity in government decision making and service delivery.

‘The right to independently investigate complaints means that my office is able to help people resolve problems with government based on merit and without fear of reprisal. By applying what we learn through investigations, we are also able to help governments improve their performance.’

The Ombudsman said his office had a particular interest in supporting and promoting effective administration and delivery of programs to Indigenous Australians, especially in the context of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER).

‘In the second year of our involvement with the NTER, my office received more than 300 complaints and collected useful anecdotal information through informal discussions with Indigenous communities,’ Professor McMillan said.

‘Very often the complaints stemmed from a lack of consultation or communication about changes occurring in Indigenous communities. Such complaints are quickly and easily resolved by providing up-to-date, comprehensive information to the people affected.’

Key statistics in the annual report for 2008-09 include:

Of the 19,412 approaches and complaints within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction received during the past year, 15,368 (79%) were about six agencies. They were:

Download the report: The Commonwealth Ombudsman Annual Report 2008-2009

Date of release: 16 October 2009

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      Two hundred years on from the creation of the first ombudsman in Sweden in 1809, the need for an independent ‘watchdog’ to safeguard citizens in their dealings with government is more relevant than ever, with almost 46,000 people contacting the Commonwealth Ombudsman during the past year.

      The Commonwealth Ombudsman 2008-2009 Annual Report tabled in Parliament today specifies that the majority (79%) of complaints dealt with by the Ombudsman were about the correctness, propriety or timeliness of government agency decisions or actions.

      Others involved the accuracy or completeness of advice (12%), the application of policy or legislation to individual circumstances (6%), or public servant conduct (4%).

      ‘Everyone is entitled to be treated fairly by government,’ Commonwealth Ombudsman Professor John McMillan said. ‘My office plays a vital role in ensuring that happens by taking an active interest in accountability, transparency and integrity in government decision making and service delivery.

      ‘The right to independently investigate complaints means that my office is able to help people resolve problems with government based on merit and without fear of reprisal. By applying what we learn through investigations, we are also able to help governments improve their performance.’

      The Ombudsman said his office had a particular interest in supporting and promoting effective administration and delivery of programs to Indigenous Australians, especially in the context of the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER).

      ‘In the second year of our involvement with the NTER, my office received more than 300 complaints and collected useful anecdotal information through informal discussions with Indigenous communities,’ Professor McMillan said.

      ‘Very often the complaints stemmed from a lack of consultation or communication about changes occurring in Indigenous communities. Such complaints are quickly and easily resolved by providing up-to-date, comprehensive information to the people affected.’

      Key statistics in the annual report for 2008-09 include:

      • approaches and complaints to the Ombudsman increased by 14% on 2007-08 from 39,934 to 45,719
      • 5,233 complaints were investigated, compared to 4,700 the previous year
      • in 10% of the complaints investigated, some agency error or deficiency was identified, compared to 8% last year
      • approaches and complaints related to more than 120 agencies
      • the office conducted 30 inspections of the records of law enforcement and other agencies, compared to 10 inspections a year four years ago
      • the Ombudsman published 18 investigation reports—more than in any previous year
      • the Ombudsman made submissions to 19 parliamentary and other inquiries.

      Of the 19,412 approaches and complaints within the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction received during the past year, 15,368 (79%) were about six agencies. They were:

      • Centrelink (7,226)—the largest number of complaints came from people claiming newstart allowance, disability support pension, family tax benefit and age pension
      • Child Support Agency (2,471)—complaints increased by 12% on last year, representing the highest number since 2002–03 (2,515)
      • Australia Post (2,219)—complaints increased by 6.5% on 2007-08 (2,083)
      • Department of Immigration and Citizenship (1,459)—complaints decreased by 5% from 2007-08; most common complaints related to problems in immigration detention centres, delays in refunding security bonds, delays associated with security clearances, and concerns about cancellation of visas on character grounds
      • Australian Taxation Office (1,422)—the most frequent complaints were about the lodgement and processing of forms (31%), debt collection (15%), superannuation (11%), complaint handling (8%) and taxpayer information (6%)
      • Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (571)—complaints decreased by 21% from 2007-08 (721), marking a return to the level of complaints in 2006–07 (567); complaints mainly related to the Department’s handling of complaints about providers of Australian Government employment services, a large proportion of which are Job Network Members.

      Download the report: The Commonwealth Ombudsman Annual Report 2008-2009

      Date of release: 16 October 2009