Mark Dreyfus (Isaacs, Australian Labor Party, Cabinet Secretary) Share this | Hansard source

I am not sure that the member for Mackellar has fully understood what the budget papers say about the funding of the Ombudsman. The total revenue of the Ombudsman is set out in the forward estimates. The budget papers in fact have figures for the total revenue of the Ombudsman. His revenue consists of both appropriations from the government and income that he receives from the sale of services.

To look at this, in 2007-08 the total revenue of the Ombudsman was $19,394,000, continuing to rise through to 2012. I will just read out the figures. In 2008-09 it was $20,756,000, in 2009-10 it was $20,309,000, in 2010-11 it was $21,277,000, and in 2011-12 it was $21,766,000. In the current year there is a drop to $20,115,000, but projections for the remaining three years of the forward estimates all have the Ombudsman's revenue remaining in the vicinity of $20 million. So it is projected to be $20,183,000 next year, $19,885,000 the following year and $19,930,000 in 2015-16.

The Commonwealth Ombudsman's staffing has been reduced. There has been a reduction in the estimated average staffing level from around 159 for 2011-12 down to 136 for 2012-13. Part of the reason for the reduction is the termination of measures relating to the oversight role that the Ombudsman was given in relation to the Northern Territory emergency response. There has also been something of a reduction specifically in the oversight role that the Ombudsman plays for Christmas Island processing. There is also a reduction because of the efficiency dividend that has been required of Commonwealth government agencies across the board.

I think it is important when one is looking at the functions of the Ombudsman to reflect upon the very broad range of functions that the Ombudsman is given, not only by the Ombudsman's own legislation but by other government programs and sometimes by other legislation. It is not really appropriate just to pick out one part of what might have been the Commonwealth Ombudsman's activities in part of some previous year and suggest that an overall conclusion can be drawn about the current year's activities. I would repeat: the Commonwealth Ombudsman has a very independent role. He has a very large discretion, and appropriately so, to determine how he would best use the resources that are provided to him by the government.

The implication in the member for Mackellar's question, that he must devote a certain level of resources to any particular thing, is wrong. It is a discretionary matter for him and I have identified, at least in part, that the reduction in role—notably in the oversight role that he had for the Northern Territory emergency response—is the reason why there has been some reduction in the Ombudsman's staffing.

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