Victorian Ombudsmen: annual report 2016

This report sets out some of the many enquiries, investigations and events that made up another busy year in the Ombudsman’s office. There is never a dull moment: for example, we were not expecting to receive, in November 2015, only the third referral from Parliament in the 43 year history of the office. The referral underlined a concern I set out in my last annual report – that my budget should not be reliant on the executive, over whom I have jurisdiction. While the financial support I have received from the Department of Premier and Cabinet has been invaluable, when I am asked by Parliament to investigate members of the government it is awkward for both parties when I am obliged to negotiate my funding from the Premier’s own department.  The three ‘pillars’ of the integrity landscape – the Ombudsman, Auditor-General and IBAC – have now put the argument that independent officers of Parliament charged with the scrutiny of the executive arm of the government should receive an appropriation direct from Parliament. We did so as part of a joint submission to the government on proposed reforms to the integrity system – the first time all three bodies have acted jointly.  That submission also highlighted inconsistencies in our mandate and jurisdictional reach. We pointed out that Victorians deserve the same level of accountability over services funded by public money regardless of whether those services are delivered by the public sector or by contract. It follows that the Ombudsman, and IBAC, should also have the capacity to ‘follow the dollar’ that the Auditor-General has finally achieved. This principle should also apply to whistleblowers – as I noted in the report I tabled in December 2015 on abuse in the disability sector, the current regime gives protection to whistleblowers in facilities provided directly by government, but not in all facilities run by providers funded by government.  A public dollar is no less of a dollar if spent in a private organisation. A modern Ombudsman should be able to apply a consistent approach to oversight regardless of the structure of the agency ultimately delivering the service; gaps and inconsistencies cannot be in the public interest. My submission to the government highlighted further areas for reform, including powers and privileges when carrying out investigations, a mandated education function and the ability of the Ombudsman to release information in the public interest.&nbsp