Commonwealth ombudsman: Improving public administration through oversight

The recent expansion of the Commonwealth Ombudsman's responsibilities to include the oversight of new metadata laws highlights the increasing importance of oversight as a function for public accountability. The Commonwealth Ombudsman works to safeguard citizens from government actions which could adversely affect them. In doing so, it plays an increasing role in monitoring the use of intrusive and coercive powers by law enforcement and other agencies. As expected, the public will not (or at least, should not) be aware of the use of these powers. As you cannot complain about something you are not aware of, people affected by the use of these powers are unlikely to do so. Enforcement agencies must be accountable in their use of these powers. Proper oversight is therefore crucial.