BackOntario Ombudsman André Marin today urged the provincial government to make better use of his "multipurpose" office in untapped areas of oversight, and address "unfinished business" arising from his recent investigations.
In his annual report, reviewing the 19,726 cases received by his office in the past fiscal year, Mr. Marin highlights the many ways he and his staff helped citizens with bureaucratic problems, flagged trending problems to senior officials, and exposed major systemic issues like operational stress injuries among police and abuse of inmates by correctional officers. While noting that the government has welcomed most of his recommendations and implemented positive changes, Mr. Marin cites several high-profile cases where it failed to follow through.
This year's report emphasizes the need for oversight of children's aid societies, hospitals and long-term care homes – three areas where Mr. Marin notes Ontario is “dead last” in Canada in allowing Ombudsman scrutiny. “The argument against Ombudsman oversight of children’s aid societies has always been feeble,” he writes. “This important resource should not be barred to children and youth in care, their families and concerned members of the public.”
Mr. Marin is Ontario’s sixth Ombudsman since 1975 and the first to be reappointed (in 2010, to a second five-year term). His office also dealt with a record 305 complaints about closed municipal meetings in 2012-2013, which will be detailed in a separate report later this year. The full press release on the 2012-2013 report is available on the website of the Ontario Ombudsman.
Source: Office of the Ontario Ombudsman
