*

cizing. his ‘office and taking: complaints about- ‘the, work: © 7
ches. oo eee
- “ dicated’ ‘only about.20 percent of the population ‘knows

"nite: the term: ‘ombudsman. -

. tries atid. crown corporations. to include. municipalities,
. universities and: ealleges,’ school. _fistricts and ‘Aealth “

". couver we now have six ‘telecommuter: officers: ‘who. work.

=. Victoria’ or. ‘the lower. mainland, Kushner: ‘did: ‘note ‘the ”

“about matches:the. population: ratio. ©

_ the budgei] for. the. next, ‘LWo- years, but we've also: been ;
told: there won't be a decrease,” said Kushner. - an

_ cuts are the norm.

A12 <The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 7, 2004

This man can help. you — 2
take on the government |

HE’S NOT exactly the: ‘Lone Ranger. on a white horse
and his budget has been cut, ‘but provincial Ombudsman’
Howard Kushner. wants people ito know he can still help...

. Kushner. has just completed. a ‘northwest tour," -publi-

“ings of the: provincial governinent - ‘and “its various agen- a

"He wants: to reverse the: findings ‘of a survey Which in-

what he does ‘and: that"30. Per cent did not even ‘yeeog:

Unlike’ other. ‘ombudsman: across” Canada, ‘Kushner’ 'g
authority: -extends.- -beyond provincial. government ‘minis

care authorities. - : ;
- They”. aécount - foi. approximately: 20. per. cent ‘of the
complaints Kushner’ s-office receives. :
But although the Ombudsman’s ‘office:i is-a creature, of.

he hasn’ t been immiune'to overall budget” cuts,: wae
Those cuts have amounted: 1035 pea cent: over the: last —

10 30 anda dollar.drop. from $4.7 millio $3. 1 million:’

2S. ari ‘example... ;
"We can nd longer investigate. local governments or

tance oe other athe sector. bodies’ such: as He oy and”
health: care‘ “authorities. not directly. connected: with the

f Kushner’ also noted that: the’

ne oe = panies: is-making » his Job.
: Howard Kushner: :

the legislative | assembly. and. ‘indepéndent. of the govern-

ment and. Kushner. himself. is an officer of th ‘assembly, contractors, it, is “becoming more: difficult to look cat. How

“a ministry does, its job,” ‘he said: ca rans a

Kushner does. ‘draw. comfort: in: “the expansion: of the .

- three. years, ‘causirig:a- reduction ‘in-staff: from’ 50 people  Orhbadsman: ‘concept ‘in. the Private. sector, citing. banks o

With: the: shift. to” private

“Tt is really. about providing’ quality, service and hav-
ing: people treated. with: respect,” he adds. 8
7: Avlawyer. by. profession ‘Kushner is in: the last ‘year of
a six-year appointment,” oe et
~The Ombudsman’ § toll- free nuimber is. I: -800:567-3247
and | the website is‘at' www. ombudsman, bea

EPILERSY ' eee EPILEPSY * EPILEPSY « aa ainh EPILEPSY - EPILEPSY EPILEPSY

” More people have epilepsy than
M.S., Muscitlar Dystrophy and”: _
Cerebral Palsy com bined. a of. .

_ BCEPILEPSY INFO ) LINE (1-866-3 ~374- 53771 re eee

‘wee eee

_of-our coffice;” ‘he saide tee fs
“Ultimately, Kushner: noted: ne
it-is hard” to economically "| 1-8G6-EPILEPSY
“put a-price tagto matters: of |
“fairness: and“access: to Bove: 4
ernment services. oe
“Tt is: ‘part of- a. mature ‘de-
mocracy ‘lo. have’ an office.

like- that, of. an: Orhbudsman .
"an. independent, “impartial .
effice: out ‘there Lo BRSUTe
fair’ treatment,” hie said,’

vats
these flyers
in today’s
newspaper!

changing nature of govern-~
‘ment away: from- directly ”
providing ‘services’to con-__.
tracling ‘put.to private.com-. *

‘mote complica, SHOPPERS

DRUG MART

provincial government... ~ : i
: “We've ‘also: ‘closed. our Vancoiver: office nd have’: in
‘only: our Victoria office: left,” :said Kushner. “Th Van-.

out of-theif-homes.”". es |
~~ Although © there: are: mt) 0 Ombudsman officials uitside of in

‘percentage of complaints: from the:

terior. and, the north:

He does remain worried ‘about:the: overall state of his”
budget. “Wé have’ heen told there ‘will, be ‘no: increase. [in-

One ‘tricky: aspect for. Kushner is: demonstrating: ‘the
dollar value his office. can bring to- the: ‘provincial gov-
ernment, particularly. in a time > When. public’ spending:

“We can: salve problems and stop them from happen: .
ing i in the future but it’ s hard. to quantity. the dollar valuc

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