Tuesday, 7 February 2012

Email to Governor General Quentin Bryce


Email to the Governor General RE Alison Larkins

ATT
Quentin Bryce
Governor General
Dear Governor General,
I understand the you will be appointing a new Commonwealth Ombudsman in the near future.
This is to be on the recommendation of the Australian Government .
I understand the selection process is being facilitated by a professional selection agency. The selection process is to asses the candidates against set selection criteria.
I have also been informed the APS Commissioner is to be represented on the selection panel and could bring to the attention of the panel any substantial information of relevant investigations of candidates However, I am not at all confident that I have any assurance that the APS Commission would carry this out .
The role of the Commonwealth Ombudsman is to safeguard the Community in its dealings with Australian Government Agencies.
The Commonwealth Ombudsman’s office handles complaints, conducts investigations performs audits and inspections,encourages good administration and carries out specialist oversight tasks.
Section 15 of the Commonwealth Ombudsman Act requires that the relevant Government Minister be notified of any systemic corrupt conduct in a particular Government Agency
At present Alison Larkins is the Acting Commonwealth Ombudsman after the resignation of Allan Asher because of conduct which was not considered impartial.
Extensive evidence was given to the Commonwealth Ombudsman in November 2010 of systemic corrupt conduct by senior management at the Insolvency Trustee Service Australia. This is the Government Agency that administers the Bankruptcy Act.
Instead of exposing this the Commonwealth Ombudsman did a deal with this agency to cover this up. The acting Commonwealth Ombudsman Alison Larkins was aware of this and failed to act. This makes Alison Larkins unfit to act as the Commonwealth Ombudsman and also to hold her position as Deputy Commonwealth Ombudsman.
I have no confidence in the APS Commissioner Steve Sedgwick. This was brought to the attention of the APS in early December.
Although I requested an update on this at regular intervals Karin Fisher refused to reply to me. This clearly made me very uneasy that the APS Commission was also attempting to cover this up.
This clearly shows a complete breakdown in accountability in the Australian Public Service.
It is absolutely atrocious that The Commonwealth Ombudsman made a deal to coverup misconduct at the Insolvency trustee Service Australia and the difficulty I faced when I first contacted the APS Commission in regard to this was also atrocious. I am quite sure the APS Commissioner would have disregarded my complaint if I had not brought it to the attention of so many people and posted it on my blog.
Any letter of complaint are shuffled between Government Agencies with no resolution . This can not be seen as proper Government practice.
Alison Larkins, Acting Commonwealth Ombudsman has wasted an enormous amount of resources attempting to justify this conduct where there is definitely no justification.
I am requesting that you personally assure that the next Commonwealth Ombudsman is NOT Alison Larkins and have the APS Commission remove her from her current position of Deputy Commonwealth Ombudsman.
I am also asking that you make Steve Sedgwick accountable.
Thanking you
Fiona Brown

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