Southern Alberta Council on Public Affairs (SACPA)

In 1967, Alberta became the first jurisdiction in North America and the tenth in the world to create an ombudsoffice. One of seven Legislative Officers for Alberta, the Ombudsman and Public Interest Commissioner reports directly to the Legislature and is meant to promote fairness in public administration and investigate complaints from individuals regarding unfair actions or decisions made by provincial government departments, agencies and some professional organizations. The Alberta government may also be credited with blurring the lines of accountability that are so critical to ensuring administrative fairness. 47 years after its creation, Alberta’s ombudsoffice continues its quest to ensure administrative fairness in an era of government restructuring and outsourcing that has produced an increasingly complex administrative environment. The speaker will connect the dots regarding the many aspects of his job and relate to examples of how his office can help in providing assistance to the public. Speake