Commonwealth Ombudsman Allan Asher has announced his resignation after formally meeting with the Governor-General. Mr Asher’s resignation will take effect on the 28th of October.

 

‘It is with sadness that I made the decision to tender my resignation,’ Mr Asher said, ‘but I have done so because I recognise that the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s enduring strength lies in community confidence in its integrity,” Mr Asher said.

 

‘I have always acted in the interest of those I have served and to bring about meaningful, broad ranging and long-term reforms to public administration. However, I accept that my actions prior to the May 2011 Budget Estimates hearing caused many in the community and the Parliament to call into question the impartiality of my office.”

 

Mr Asher’s resignation comes after a chaotic week in Federal Parliament where he was accused of providing Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young a list of questions to ask him during a Senate committee.

 

The questions were framed in such a way that Mr Asher could voice his complaints about the inadequacy of funding for the office while also detailing problems with immigration detention centres.

 

‘I regret deeply that my office’s reputation may have been damaged by my actions and apologise sincerely to my staff and to our clients. However, I do hope that some good will come of this incident by way of public discussion and debate about future funding and an appropriate accountability mechanism for the Commonwealth Ombudsman,’ Mr Asher said.

 

His decision to comes after the Federal Government pressured him to resign from the post.

 

“I was only doing my job which is secure fair and just treatment for those the system ignores,” Mr Asher later posted on Twitter

 

Green's leader Senator Bob Brown described the events as a "political assassination of a decent Australian". However, the the Federal Government spared any sympathy for Mr Asher. 

 

"I have been concerned about the conduct of the ombudsman. I think it remains for the ombudsman to explain how this conduct meets his obligations of independence and impartiality," Prime Minister Julia Gillard told a press conference.