BackVictorian Ombudsman George Brouwer recently called attention two new Bills undermining the Ombudsman’s independence and integrity. In a letter to Premier Ted Baillieu Mr Brouwer criticized that he was neither consulted regarding the content of the Bills nor given access to the Bills upon his request.
The Bills in question, the Integrity and Accountability Amendment Bill 2012 and the Protected Disclosure Bill 2012, would introduce a new anti-corruption and integrity scheme and reorganize whistle-blower protection. The Ombudsman would be put under the oversight of a new body, the Victorian Inspectorate. The competence to deal with whistle-blower complaints would be significantly limited.
Mr Brouwer therefore asked the Premier to give him sufficient time to complete a report on the Bills and defer the second reading debate in the Assembly of the new Bills until February 2013 to ensure comprehensive consideration by Parliament.
Source: Ombudsman Victoria
You can download an article from the newspaper „The Age“ covering the topic here. For more information on the Ombudsman of Victoria please visit the institution’s website.
