Local Guides World
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"The Queensland Ombudsman can make recommendations to rectify unlawful, unfair or unreasonable decisions and improve administrative practices as prescribed by the Ombudsman Act (Qld) 2001." However it chooses not to on most occasions.
Very poor service the 2 girls I spoke to one after the other seemed to not understand situations at all and acted very unprofessionally. I am about to literally move states due to the Queensland government and their absolutely appalling treatment of the community. My issue was local council related GCCC and it's just easier to move states if this is what Queensland has to offer I'm going back to NSW
The truth is they are there as window dressing so it appears to the world we have a just and caring society, when in truth they are simply there to protect the Government body you are complaning about. Shocking waste of taxpayers money, even when they know you are right, they won't help you.
If your complaint is about a QLD government department, there is no point pursuing the matter with the QLD Ombudsman. The majority of outcomes side with the QLD state government. Given the QLD Ombudsman is meant to be the impartial body that objectively reviews complaints, QLD Ombudsman completely fails at their very reason for existence. I have spent over two years pursuing complaints with a couple of govt departments who denied responsibility for wrongdoing, even though their actions violated legislation and were inconsistent with their own practice manuals. The complaints processes only looked at evidence that supported their claims and ignored all evidence to the contrary, so I put the matter to the QLD Ombudsman.
The outcome of my complaint with the Ombudsman was that the QLD Ombudsman decided my matter “didn’t warrant further investigation,” even though on the phone the officer acknowledged they were unable to verify that the Department in question used correct procedures. She also acknowledged that there were aspects of my complaint that had not been addressed in the department’s complaint process and she referred me back to the original department and told me to raise the complaint again – isn’t that supposed to be why the Ombudsman is there? QLD Ombudsman made their finding based on a ridiculous notion that I had opportunity to clarify the information with the department in question, despite my complaint being about this very fact: that I repeatedly asked for the information I was entitled to (including documentation that I was supposed to have signed) and I was repeatedly denied or given misinformation. QLD Ombudsman then said Department's responses to my complaint were reasonable given this.
Looking at the Annual Report 2021-2022, 6669 complaints made it through the Ombudsman gatekeeping process (from over 10K contacts). Of these, they only investigated 1106 of these (most of the time they called the complaint “premature” meaning they refer you back to the Department in question, which invariably involves lengthy procedures which involve departments denying responsibility or even outright lying about their actions. QLD govt departments are experts at denying complaints.) Of 1106 investigated complaints, there were 123 complaints where rectifications were found to be required. There were 540 complaints found to have “no error identified”. There were a further 400 found to have “no further investigation warranted”. Basically, as with my complaint, this means they found some flimsy reason to not pursue the matter, possibly as there was a serious breach by a government department that they do not want to acknowledge or possibly simply they do not value any evidence put forward by members of the public against government records (which in my case were falsified in the notes).
Given my horrendous experiences with QLD state govt departments (5 were involved), I know there are more than 123 cases in a year where the public service gets it wrong. The QLD Ombudsman, who is supposed to be the objective voice for the public in an inherently unfair process which favours what public servants have recorded over anything a member of the public has to say, fails in providing any fairness or ensuring that QLD public service is held to account. Public servants are completely protected in the vast majority of cases. Do not expect fairness or objectivity from this department, nor any Queensland state government department. Queenslanders have no voice against whatever the government wants to record about you.
Finally, note that any of the favourable reviews listed here are generally related to financial institutions, which the Queensland Office of the Ombudsman does not investigate. The terrible Google rating is actually overinflated.
The outcome of my complaint with the Ombudsman was that the QLD Ombudsman decided my matter “didn’t warrant further investigation,” even though on the phone the officer acknowledged they were unable to verify that the Department in question used correct procedures. She also acknowledged that there were aspects of my complaint that had not been addressed in the department’s complaint process and she referred me back to the original department and told me to raise the complaint again – isn’t that supposed to be why the Ombudsman is there? QLD Ombudsman made their finding based on a ridiculous notion that I had opportunity to clarify the information with the department in question, despite my complaint being about this very fact: that I repeatedly asked for the information I was entitled to (including documentation that I was supposed to have signed) and I was repeatedly denied or given misinformation. QLD Ombudsman then said Department's responses to my complaint were reasonable given this.
Looking at the Annual Report 2021-2022, 6669 complaints made it through the Ombudsman gatekeeping process (from over 10K contacts). Of these, they only investigated 1106 of these (most of the time they called the complaint “premature” meaning they refer you back to the Department in question, which invariably involves lengthy procedures which involve departments denying responsibility or even outright lying about their actions. QLD govt departments are experts at denying complaints.) Of 1106 investigated complaints, there were 123 complaints where rectifications were found to be required. There were 540 complaints found to have “no error identified”. There were a further 400 found to have “no further investigation warranted”. Basically, as with my complaint, this means they found some flimsy reason to not pursue the matter, possibly as there was a serious breach by a government department that they do not want to acknowledge or possibly simply they do not value any evidence put forward by members of the public against government records (which in my case were falsified in the notes).
Given my horrendous experiences with QLD state govt departments (5 were involved), I know there are more than 123 cases in a year where the public service gets it wrong. The QLD Ombudsman, who is supposed to be the objective voice for the public in an inherently unfair process which favours what public servants have recorded over anything a member of the public has to say, fails in providing any fairness or ensuring that QLD public service is held to account. Public servants are completely protected in the vast majority of cases. Do not expect fairness or objectivity from this department, nor any Queensland state government department. Queenslanders have no voice against whatever the government wants to record about you.
Finally, note that any of the favourable reviews listed here are generally related to financial institutions, which the Queensland Office of the Ombudsman does not investigate. The terrible Google rating is actually overinflated.
I attempted to raise an issue about Translink holding on to money on my expired GoCard for an undetermined time (probably at least six weeks) and not transferring it to a replacement card "due to processing procedures and bank verification", etc. The ombudsman spokesperson took issue with me when I challenged her on her recalcitrant and unhelpful attitude. She essentially told me I had to abide by the Translink process and refused to discuss my concerns further, then terminated the call telling me she did not like me 'insinuating' that she was unhelpful. I asked what she meant by insinuating and she cut me off. Very good form and most helpful!
Total waste of tax payer money. Apparently corruption is only corruption if it directly affects you - so speeding should only be speeding if it directly affects you along with every other act or offence. No surprises that organisations both government and private do and will continue to behave in a corrupt manner.
These people are a complete waste of taxpayers money. They behaved towards me like a bunch of arrogant, condescending princesses who would decide whether or not to provide assistance depending on their whim. Queensland public servants are very fond of saying that they pay taxes too, however the employees of the Office of the Queensland Ombudsman do not pay enough taxes to pay for their own worthless existence. After my personal experience with them I would recommend you head straight for a lawyer rather than hoping for assistance from this bunch of arrogant public trough snufflers.
