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Report says
immigrants
uninformed
about rights
SYDNEY: Ethnic communities rarely
complain about Telecom, the Immigra-
tion Department or the Tax office be-
cause they do not know they can,
according to a report to be issued today.
The Administrative Review Council
report, which covers an 18-month, two-
state survey, calls on the Commonwealth
Ombudsman to assume a greater role in
publicising the rights of all Australians to
complain about unfavourable decisions
or unfair treatment.
The report said administrative review
agencies had "failed to publicise them-
selves and their services effectively",
which was worrying, said the council's
president, Professor Cheryl Saunders.
"Australia's administrative review
system is possibly the most highly devel-
oped in the world, but a lot of Austral-
ians are being denied its benefits,"
Professor Saunders said.
"A right of review is no use to a person
who either doesn't know about it or who
hasn't the ability or confidence to ap-
proach a review agency."
The report recommends:
* that the Commonwealth Ombuds-
man assume a leading role in publicising
the review system.
* the application of "basic marketing
principles" by all government service
providers and the use of imaginative,
properly targeted publicity.
* closer links between review agencies
and community workers or others with
the knowledge and experience of ethnic
communities.
* that proper translation and inter-
preting facilities be provided at all gov-
ernment service providers.
The report was based on the Vietnam
ese community in Melbourne and the
Turkish community in Sydney.
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