This paper provides an overview of the research literature on the outcomes of children raised in families with multiple problems including parental substance misuse. The authors argue that until we have accurate mechanisms for estimating the extent of the problem and policies that include a focus on children and families within the drug and alcohol...

Guidelines on banning customers from entering Centrelink offices because of inappropriate behaviour are the subject of this report. The Ombudsman has received complaints over a number of years from customers whose face-to-face contact with Centrelink staff has been withdrawn because of their behaviour. The report concludes that in most instances Centrelink’s decisions to ban customers...

The Migration Act requires that a non-citizen who is detained is liable to pay the Australian government the costs of his or her detention. This liability includes costs for the transportation of the person to and from an immigration detention centre and the daily maintenance amount for each day the person spends in detention. In...

This report sets out to improve the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints about courts and tribunals; give courts and tribunals a clearer understanding of the Ombudsman’s role; improve public understanding of the role of the Ombudsman in relation to courts and tribunals; and improve understanding of the complaint mechanisms available in the courts and tribunals themselves...

In 2005 and 2006 the Australian Government asked the Ombudsman to investigate 247 immigration detention cases. Eight published reports contain the results of those investigations. The purpose of this new report is to draw together ten lessons from the referred immigration reports that are relevant to all areas of government. The administrative problems and errors...