WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987
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INDEPENDENT OMBUDSMAN OFFICE BACKED
****
AN INDEPENDENT OFFICE OF A COMMISSIONER FOR ADMINISTRATION, ANSWERABLE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SHOULD BE SET UP TO HANDLE SUFFICIENTLY SERIOUS COMPLAINTS.
THE CALL WAS MADE BY THE HON THOMAS CLYDESDALE DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE CONSULTATIVE DECUMENT ON REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, HE SAID, SHOULD BE GIVEN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REFERRING ALL CASES TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
+ IN CASES WHERE COMPLAINTS ARE BEING MADE AGAINST THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ITSELF OR ITS INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, THE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL SHOULD HAVE THE POWER TO CONSIDER SENDING THEM FORWARD TO THE COMMISSIONER, HE ADDED.
THE COUNCIL SHOULD ALSO BE EMPOWERED TO AUTHORISE THE COMMISSIONER TO MAKE PUBLIC SUCH DETAILS OF VALID COMPLAINTS AS MAY SEEN NECESSARY IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, HE SUGGESTED.
MR CLYDESDALE NOTED THAT THE NEW OFFICE SHOULD BE GIVEN THE RESOURCES FROM THE OUTSET, NOT ONLY IN FINANCIAL TERMS BUT ALSO IN REGARD TO THE QUALITY OF THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF, AS WELL AS THE LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE POWERS GIVEN TO HIM.
HOWEVER, HE FOUND IT NECESSARY TO DEFINE CAREFULLY THE BOUNDARIES OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS RIGHT TO REQUIRE INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
+THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF WILL HAVE TO BE DEFINED SINCE THERE ARE MANY ORGANISATIONS FULLY OR LARGELY SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNMENT,+ HE SAID.
MR CLYDESDALE STRESSED THAT THE NEW OFFICE WAS TO PROVIDE AN AVENUE OF COMPLAINT FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WERE AGGRIEVED AND WHO HAD FOUND NO MEANS OF OBTAINING REDRESS.
*OURS IS AN OPEN SOCIETY AND SUCH AN OFFICE WILL HELP KEEP IT SO, HE SAID.
HE CITED THE PUBLIC DISTRUST OF THE GOVERNMENT AND CALL FOR EFFECTIVE ACTION TO CONTAIN GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION, BEFORE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ICAC IN 1974, AS THE +PRIME EXAMPLE OF FAILURE OF THE COMPLAINTS SYSTEM+.
+WE MUST NEVER FORGET THIS LESSON NOR THE VERY GREAT IMPROVEMENT THAT HAS OCCURRED THROUGH GENUINE AND HONEST EFFORT TO SET UP AN ORGANISATION WHICH THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AT ALL LEVELS, CAN TRUST AND TO WHICH COMPLAINTS CAN BE MADE WITH CONFIDENCE, HE SAID.
MR CLYDESDALE SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT EXISTING CHANNELS FOR THE REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES WERE ADEQUATE NOR THAT THEY ENJOYED WIDE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.
THESE CHANNELS SHOULD BE MOST CAREFULLY CONSIDERED WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVEMENT WHERE POSSIBLE, HE PROPOSED.
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