The Commonwealth Ombudsman has called for the establishment of an inter-departmental advisory or review panel to deal with disputed claims for compensation from Government agencies such as the Australian Taxation Office.
The ombudsman, Professor John McMillan, said there needed to be improvements in the so-called Compensation for Detriment caused by Defective Administration (CDDA) scheme in circumstances where there was sometimes a reluctance by Government agencies to admit error and approve claims.
“If the wrong advice is given, people rightly expect to be compensated for their loss,” he said.
Professor McMillan said that after examining the policies and practices of three of the 100 Government departments and agencies covered by the scheme, he had recommended areas for improvement including providing greater visibility for the scheme, establishing the inter-departmental advisory or review panel, making better use of IT to improve case monitoring and dealing appropriately with “administrative drift”.
