Federal ombudsman would reduce democratic deficit. Paul Martin has long been an advocate of reducing the democratic deficit, but one of the most effective means of doing so would be the appointment of a federal ombudsman as an independent officer of Parliament. A national ombudsman is now in place in some 65 democratic countries, including Australia, as well as in the Canadian provinces, but not as yet in Ottawa. It is now five years since provincial ombudsmen urged Ottawa to create such a position, ?so far to no avail,? writes a longtime Canadian ombudsman scholar Donald C. Rowat.

By Institute for Research on Public Policy, Canada.

Governance Policy Resource.