CAIN Update – 25 June 2015

Items of interest for the Complaints, Accountability, Integrity Network

New Complaints and Enquiries Guide

Complaints and enquiries
The NT Ombudsman has produced a new complaints and enquiries guide. The guide covers a broad spectrum of options for enquiry and complaint about a range of government and private sector functions and services.
http://www.ombudsman.nt.gov.au/sites/default/files/downloads/complaints_and_enquiries_guide_june_2015.pdf
Ombudsman NT, June 2015

Police

Investigation report - Matters arising from allegations of inappropriate conduct by a former Commissioner of Police and another police officer
The report discusses integrity issues relating to conflict of interests, associations and gifts and benefits. It also discusses issues relating to police reporting concerns about other police and matters relating to current and possible alternative integrity mechanisms and the current powers of the Ombudsman. The report makes a number of recommendations for review of NT Police policies and procedures and Ombudsman legislation.
http://www.ombudsman.nt.gov.au/sites/default/files/downloads/police_investigation_report_final_29_may_15.pdf
Ombudsman NT, May 2015

Taking responsibility for mistakes

Department of Health: Avoiding, acknowledging and fixing mistakes: Investigation of a complaint about the Australian Community Pharmacy Authority
Commonwealth Ombudsman report concerning a complaint about the Pharmacy Location Program, which was delivered across two federal agencies: the Department of Health and the Department of Human Services. Although the investigation concerned a specific set of circumstances arising in a particular program, it resulted in broader lessons for government agencies about sharing information between agencies that jointly administer a program, and taking responsibility for fixing mistakes.
http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/Commonwealth_Ombudsman_Report_no042014_Dec2014.pdf
Commonwealth Ombudsman, December 2014

Ethics and misconduct

Organised Crime and public sector corruption podcast
Interview with Dr Russell Smith from the Australian Institute of Criminology about organised crime and public sector corruption. Focusses on organised crime recruiting public servants to access protected personal information.
http://www.ibac.vic.gov.au/docs/default-source/podcasts/dr-russell-smith-organised-crime-and-public-sector-corruption.mp3?sfvrsn=2
Independent broad-based anti-corruption commission, Victoria, April 2015

Privacy

Ben Grubb and Telstra Corporation Limited
An individual sought access to all metadata information Telstra had stored about him including (but not limited to) cell tower logs, inbound call and text details, duration of data sessions and telephone calls and the URLs of websites visited. The Australian Information Commissioner determined that this was personal information and that Telstra should provide access to the information other than inbound call numbers.
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/AICmr/2015/35.html
Australian Information Commissioner, [2015] AICmr 35, 1 May 2015

Responding to coronial recommendations

Responding to coronial recommendations - the Civil Aviation Safety Authority's regulation of general aviation
The investigation looked at how CASA considers, responds to, and implements coronial recommendations, including its internal records for tracking decisions and progress against the recommendations. It considered the reasonableness of CASA's general arrangements for handling coronial recommendations, and the specific actions it has taken in response to each of the coronial inquests within the scope of the investigation.
http://www.ombudsman.gov.au/files/casa_final_report_2015_april.pdf
Commonwealth Ombudsman, April 2015

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