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Ontario Ombudsman Turns 35 Years Young: Anniversary Pays Tribute To

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Ontario Ombudsman Turns 35 Years Young: Anniversary Pays Tribute To Ontario Ombudsman turns 35 years young: Anniversary pays tribute to former ombudsmen while reaffirming vital role amid “increasingly bureaucratic and depersonalized” society (TORONTO, November 1) – Not quite middle-aged but at a point well beyond the self- defining years, the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office turned 35 years young today, and marked the occasion with a gathering attended by Ministers, MPPs, and other distinguished guests including United Nations Ombudsman, John Barkat. The Honorable Roy McMurtry, former Ontario Chief Justice and Attorney General, recommended the appointment of the first ombudsman, Arthur Maloney in 1975. He has been a friend to each ombudsman ever since and in a speech paid tribute to Mr. Maloney and successive ombudsmen: Donald Morand (1979-84), Daniel Hill (1984-89), Roberta Jamieson (1989-99), Clare Lewis (2000-05), and André Marin (2005-Present). “In my view, the Office of the Ombudsman has served a legacy in which we all should be very proud. The Ontario Ombudsman has been an effective means of humanizing government and smoothing out the rough edges of relationships between the citizen and government and bureaucracy and bringing about important policy change.” Mr. McMurtry also emphasized the vital role the office plays today: “The reality is we live in a society that's becoming increasingly bureaucratic and depersonalized. Even with the best intentions, governments are becoming more remote from the citizens whom they serve. While individual members of the legislature continue to play a most vital role, they simply do not have the resources to effectively fight government bureaucracies…Under the leadership of our present Ombudsman, André Marin, the work of the office has continued to be extremely effective and vital and his reappointment in my view was enormously deserved.” In an earlier speech, the Honorable Steve Peters, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, noted how the Ombudsman's Office “plays a critical role in the political process investigating complaints and issuing reports highlighting where the office believes the government of the day can make positive changes in the delivery and execution of its services." NDP leader Andrea Horwath presented Mr. Marin with a certificate of commemoration and although not able to attend the reception, both Premier Dalton McGuinty and PC 1 leader Tim Hudak each sent their congratulations in an anniversary greeting to Mr. Marin. “For 35 years, the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario has been playing a vital role in ensuring that the Ontario government works in the best interests of our citizens – and that they are served effectively and fairly,” Mr. McGuinty wrote. Mr. Marin thanked everyone for their kind words and praised his talented staff for their service over the years. “Although legislation vests important powers in the Ombudsman, the office would not be able to function without the amazing staff, many of whom are here tonight. I am immensely proud of our staff. For a small office, we have the memory of an elephant…We take pride in knowing that we have substantially improved the relationship between state and individual and strengthened good governance.” MPP John Yakabuski congratulated the office on its 35 years of service during the November 4th legislative session at Queen’s Park: “It is important in the days today, when the government has gotten bigger and bigger, to have an office established to assist average citizens to have somewhere to go to when they are unhappy or dissatisfied with the response of that government. We are thankful we have the Ombudsman. Congratulations on 35 years.” Among the Ministers and MPPs that came to celebrate the office milestone were the Honorable James Bradley, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Honorable Madeleine Meilleur, Minister of Community and Social Services, NDP leader Andrea Horwath, MPP (Hamilton-Centre), France Gélinas, MPP (Nickel Belt), Gilles Bisson, MPP (Timmins-James Bay), Peter Kormos, MPP (Welland), John Yakabuski, MPP (Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke), Michael Prue, MPP (Beaches-East York), and Paul Miller, MPP (Hamilton East-Stoney Creek). - 30 - 2 .
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