WA Ombudsman Found Guilty of Serious Misconduct in Travel Scandal

Chris Field bypassed protocols and used state funds for international trips, leading to a corruption watchdog's damning report.

The Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) found WA Ombudsman Chris Field guilty of serious misconduct related to unauthorized international travel expenses.
Field spent over $223,000 on travel in 2022-2023 without required approval from the premier, creating a sham approval process within his office.
He failed to declare travel-related hospitality and breached procurement rules by misleading the treasurer about a contract with the OECD.
The CCC report highlighted Field's unmanageable conflict of interest between his role as ombudsman and president of the International Ombudsman Institute.
Recommendations include establishing a bipartisan committee for oversight and expanding the Parliamentary Inspector's functions to include the ombudsman's office.