Ombudsman of Western Australia Convicted of ‘Serious Misconduct’
The state’s Corruption and Crime Commission has determined that Chris Field misused expenses to finance trips abroad related to an international position.
Western Australia’s (WA) Ombudsman Chris Field has been found in violation by the state’s Corruption and Crime Commission (CCC) for engaging in serious misconduct by neglecting to disclose taxpayer-funded travel.
The report also highlighted his apparent lack of awareness about the laws governing his position.
Field has held this role, which deals with public service complaints, for over 17 years.
In 2022 and 2023, Field served as president of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). The Commission accused him of not seeking approval for international travel related to Institute business, funded through his office, despite clear government guidelines against it.
He allegedly devised a deceitful process to authorize trips to the United States, parts of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, costing over $223,400 (US$150,000) in the 2022/23 fiscal year. Often, his deputy, Rebecca Poole, accompanied him.
He also failed to disclose travel and lodging provided by others. These trips included exchanges with Uzbekistan, Bahrain, and Canada, a meeting with the OECD president in Paris, and attending a candlelight vigil with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In August 2023, Field agreed to a contract worth €129,640 (A$210,000) with the OECD to conduct a survey on ombudsmen’s role in civil society.
“In doing so, he violated procurement rules and failed to maintain proper records,” the CCC report revealed.
WA Treasurer Rita Saffioti requested information about the OECD project, but according to the report, he “misled the treasurer by creating a document on service procurement that contained false information.”
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‘Arrogant Disregard’: Corruption and Crime Commission
The Commission raised concerns about the reliability of Field’s testimony and indicated that he had an “unmanageable conflict of interest” in his decisions as both Ombudsman and Institute president.
It also alleged that he instructed public servants to work on Institute matters—from drafting his speeches to managing aspects of his travel—even before his election as president.
“Mr. Field claimed he was within his duties to use state funds for matters beyond his statutory responsibilities,” the report stated. “However, the evidence suggests that he acted with arrogant disregard for his duties under the [law].
“In his decisions as IOI President and Ombudsman, he faced an unmanageable conflict of interest. This conflict compromised every funding decision he made, benefiting the IOI significantly.”
“He continuously failed to disclose travel and hospitality against his office’s policies. If his testimony is truthful, Mr. Field demonstrated a concerning lack of knowledge and understanding of his own legislation,” the Commission concluded.
The Commission recommended that the Western Australian Parliament appoint the CCC’s parliamentary inspector to oversee the Ombudsman and consider establishing a bipartisan joint committee to supervise the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administrative Investigations.
Field to Resign
Field has been on extended leave for the past five months following a recommendation from CCC Commissioner John McKechnie. At the time, he publicly stated that his travel decisions as IOI president were part of his broader duties and were not clandestine.
The CCC noted that Field was “not driven by greed or personal gain” but had acted with “arrogant disregard for his duties” as the Ombudsman.
State Premier Roger Cook called for Field’s resignation, pointing out that the report’s findings were unequivocal and strong.
Similarly, Opposition leader Shane Love denounced Field’s behavior as “wholly unacceptable” and urged his immediate resignation.
In a statement, Field announced that he would tender his resignation later today, expressing his belief that he was denied “adequate procedural fairness” in the final stages of the Commission’s process.
