Commonwealth Ombudsman The Ombudsman's primary focus is to help ensure transparency and fairness in the way citizens are treated by government agencies and to improve public administration generally. The Ombudsman Act 1976 gives the Ombudsman wide powers to question officials and other people, inspect documents and enter Commonwealth premises during the course of an investigation. In most cases, cooperative working arrangements with agencies mean that these powers do not need to be formally exercised. Investigating officers try to resolve less serious complaints as quickly as possible by telephoning the agency to obtain information and discuss the issues involved. Complaints involving complex issues are handled on a more formal basis.
Investigators normally write to the agency and set out the complaint.
If necessary, the Ombudsman uses powers under the Ombudsman Act 1976 to have people interviewed on oath, or to require an agency to produce files, records or other documents. The Ombudsman must inform you of the outcome of an investigation, or of the reasons why a complaint has not been investigated or an investigation has not been completed. The Ombudsman is also required to consider whether the actions of the department or authority concerned were unreasonable, illegal, discriminatory or otherwise wrong. Where such a finding is made the Ombudsman must report accordingly to the agency concerned and may recommend any remedial action. If adequate action is not taken as a result of those recommendations then the Ombudsman can report to the Prime Minister or the Parliament.