The Ombuds Blog: Canada's Best-Known Ombuds Will Not be Rehired Automatically, Must Compete For Reappointment

February 25, 2010

Canada's Best-Known Ombuds Will Not be Rehired Automatically, Must Compete For Reappointment

The provincial government of Ontario has decided not to renew the appointment of André Marin, Ombudsman of Ontario. Marin--the Past President of Forum of Canadian Ombudsmen and North American Regional VP of the International Ombudsman Institute--will be completing his first five-year term on March 31, 2010.
Premier Dalton McGuinty confirmed that Marin would not be automatically reappointed and denied that Marin's sharp criticism of the provincial government was a motivating factor. Marin, who has been tweeting the developments, said that he will seek reappointment and supports an open and transparent selection process. (Toronto Star; Canadian Press; Ont_Ombudsman Twitter.)

Marin is still scheduled to address the annual IOA conference as a keynote speaker on April 8, just a week later. He is always a compelling speaker and clearly relishes his watchdog role; under the circumstances he may be unleashed.

2/10/10 Update: An online petition seeks the reappointment of Marin and already has more than 100 signatures. (GoPetition.)

1 comment:

Tom Kosakowski2/25/2010 10:49 AM
Correction: My initial post mistakenly indicated that Marin would not seek reappointment.
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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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