Expanded Inquiry and Inspection Powers for the Ombudsman
Ombudsman and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024
1st House
2nd House
Law
Links to official parliament websites
Effects of this bill
If this bill passes, it means that:
Anyone can complain to the Ombudsman about a public authority's conduct; some types of conduct are excluded.
The Ombudsman can make preliminary inquiries to decide if they have jurisdiction or should start an investigation.
The Ombudsman can now copy documents when inspecting premises.
Public authorities must give the Ombudsman reasonable assistance and access to facilities during inspections.
Public authorities must cooperate with the Ombudsman; they must use best endeavours to help if asked.
The Ombudsman can monitor and assess Aboriginal programs.
The Ombudsman and public authorities can now disclose information that identifies a person who took protected action.
The Ombudsman cannot handle complaints that could instead be made to the Privacy Commissioner.