Ombudsman’s Part In Local Govt

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31661, 23 April 1968, Page 1

Ombudsman’s Part In Local Govt

Christchurch City Council delegates will have a free hand in voting on remits to the Municipal Association’s conference seeking extension of the Ombudsman’s powers to local governments.

The Ombudsman would be a very over-worked gentleman if he had to deal with complaints about local government, said Cr W. P. Glue when the council last evening considered a letter from Sir Matthew Oram, president of the Constitutional Society, urging it to support remits to the Municipal Association’s conference advocating extension of the Ombudsman’s powers to allow him to investigate complaints about local government. Cr Glue suggested that a second Ombudsman would be needed to deal with such matters.

Cr H. G. Hay said the need for such an officer was demonstrated by the success of the present Ombudsman in other spheres. There was a good case for widening the scope of the Ombudsman in view of the complexity of local government and the increasing likelihood that citizens’ rights could be infringed. A motion by Cr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., that the council’s delegates be given a free hand in voting on the remits was carried. Cr H. E. Denton had moved that they be instructed to vote against them. He said that citizens always got a fair deal from the council. His motion was defeated after Cr Macfarlane had said that not all councils were as virtuous as the Christchurch City Council.