Acting Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman Mr Ron Brent today reminded senior Australian and ACT Government officials that ombudsmen will always be relevant because, inevitably, governments make mistakes and there are always victims of those mistakes.

Mr Brent was celebrating the opening of his new office premises by Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State Senator Joe Ludwig.

‘The Ombudsman exists for those people—be it as many as 95 per cent of the population or as few as five individuals—who need assistance from an objective third party to help them equitably resolve a problem with a government agency,’ Mr Brent said.

‘Democratic governments are motivated to perform better for constituents because of our commitment to accountability, transparency and integrity.

‘We are able to help people deal with a diverse range of government issues, including social security payments, grant schemes, child support matters, tax complaints, visa problems, public housing, corrective services, compensation for poor administration and police actions.’

Senator Ludwig said he had no doubt the Commonwealth Ombudsman would continue to build on its strong reputation to deliver fair and transparent administration for all Australians.

‘Since the inception of the office in 1977, the role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman in ensuring Australian governments are accountable to the public continues to be relevant.

‘The expansion of the Ombudsman’s roles and responsibilities is a testament to the agency’s high-quality work and the confidence of successive governments in the Ombudsman.

‘The consolidation of the Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman offices will assist the agencies to deliver better services to the community.’

The Ombudsman’s office has several specialist functions, including scrutinising the use of highly intrusive powers such as telephone tapping or use of electronic surveillance devices by law enforcement agencies. Further, the Ombudsman plays the roles of ACT, defence force, immigration, law enforcement, postal industry and taxation ombudsman, and he will soon take on a role for international students too.

The new office is located at Level 5, Childers Square, 14 Childers Street, Canberra City (opposite the Street Theatre). Members of the public can visit or call the office on 1300 362 072* between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays; or visit the websites at www.ombudsman.gov.au or www.ombudsman.act.gov.au.

Media contacts:
Sarah Cosson Senator Ludwig’s office 0423 823 843
Ombudsman’s Media 02 6276 3759

Date of release: 16 June 2010

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      16 Jun 2010: Government ‘watchdog’ fundamental to democracy

      Acting Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman Mr Ron Brent today reminded senior Australian and ACT Government officials that ombudsmen will always be relevant because, inevitably, governments make mistakes and there are always victims of those mistakes.

      Mr Brent was celebrating the opening of his new office premises by Cabinet Secretary and Special Minister of State Senator Joe Ludwig.

      ‘The Ombudsman exists for those people—be it as many as 95 per cent of the population or as few as five individuals—who need assistance from an objective third party to help them equitably resolve a problem with a government agency,’ Mr Brent said.

      ‘Democratic governments are motivated to perform better for constituents because of our commitment to accountability, transparency and integrity.

      ‘We are able to help people deal with a diverse range of government issues, including social security payments, grant schemes, child support matters, tax complaints, visa problems, public housing, corrective services, compensation for poor administration and police actions.’

      Senator Ludwig said he had no doubt the Commonwealth Ombudsman would continue to build on its strong reputation to deliver fair and transparent administration for all Australians.

      ‘Since the inception of the office in 1977, the role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman in ensuring Australian governments are accountable to the public continues to be relevant.

      ‘The expansion of the Ombudsman’s roles and responsibilities is a testament to the agency’s high-quality work and the confidence of successive governments in the Ombudsman.

      ‘The consolidation of the Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman offices will assist the agencies to deliver better services to the community.’

      The Ombudsman’s office has several specialist functions, including scrutinising the use of highly intrusive powers such as telephone tapping or use of electronic surveillance devices by law enforcement agencies. Further, the Ombudsman plays the roles of ACT, defence force, immigration, law enforcement, postal industry and taxation ombudsman, and he will soon take on a role for international students too.

      The new office is located at Level 5, Childers Square, 14 Childers Street, Canberra City (opposite the Street Theatre). Members of the public can visit or call the office on 1300 362 072* between 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays; or visit the websites at www.ombudsman.gov.au or www.ombudsman.act.gov.au.

      Media contacts:
      Sarah Cosson Senator Ludwig’s office 0423 823 843
      Ombudsman’s Media 02 6276 3759

      Date of release: 16 June 2010