Queensland Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has announced the appointment of former judge, Michael Forde, to the state’s new Complaints Oversight Board.
Mr Forde will chair the Board and act as the independent person to oversee Queensland’s complaints management reform.
A former District Court Judge, the Premier said Mr Forde (pictured) brings a wealth of knowledge with decades of legal and judicial experience. Admitted as a barrister in 1974, he served at the Bar of Queensland for 20 years before being appointed to the District Court in 1995, where he served 14 years before retiring in 2009.
“In September I committed to implementing the clearinghouse and that an independent eminent person would be appointed to chair an oversight board,” the Premier said in a statement.
“Mr Forde’s appointment as that eminent person is an important step in this reform.
“Mr Forde brings with him a wealth of knowledge, with decades of legal and judicial experience, and is well respected for his integrity and his advice.
“The work of Mr Forde will enhance Queensland’s strong integrity framework and assure Queenslanders of our Government’s commitment to transparency, accountability and integrity.”
The Board will also include members from the Queensland Ombudsman, the CCC, and the Information Commissioner.
Premier Palaszczuk said Mr Forde will be supported by the clearinghouse team to provide best practice in Queensland for accepting, acknowledging, assessing, tracking and resolving complaints.
Queenslanders with complaints about Government will have greater transparency about how their complaints are managed, she said.
“This work is important and will give Queenslander’s greater confidence in how complaints are managed across Government,” said Mr Forde.
“I am invested in addressing the current complexity and energised about finding ways to remove confusion and create an easier, transparent and customer centric approach to complaints for all Queenslanders.”
