This report looks at ways to help public authorities apologise for mistakes. Many of the people who approach the Ombudsman are upset, not just about an authority’s mistake, but with the way the authority responded to their concerns. They want the authority to acknowledge and fix the problem, and treat them with respect.

It is a truism that taxpayers’ money should not be used for personal gain. This should be ingrained into every person employed on the public purse, but as this, and so many other Ombudsman investigations in past years illustrate, it is not always the case. This investigation focuses on the use of public funds by...

Foreword The riots at the Parkville Youth Justice Centre in November 2016 and the Government’s subsequent establishment of a youth justice centre within Barwon Prison have prompted reviews, inquiries, and legal proceedings, by numerous agencies. These include the responsible department, the Commission for Children and Young People, the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission...

Almost 25% of all jurisdictional approaches to the Victorian Ombudsman are about local government. Members of the public who complain to the office sometimes express concern that decisions are being made ‘behind closed doors’ or ‘in secret’, presenting this as evidence to support their concerns. The level of concern shown in these complaints is readily...

Workers compensation has a fraught history in most jurisdictions and Victoria is no exception. It is socially responsible to provide for a universal system of insurance covering work related injury to recognise the value of workers and the risks of work, and economically responsible both to support a return to work and to ensure that...