The Officers of Parliament Committee has presented a report to the House recommending the appointment of John Richard Allen as Chief Ombudsman.

Mr Allen is the Chancellor at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington and chief executive of WellingtonNZ. He is a former chief executive of the New Zealand Racing Board, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the New Zealand Post Group.

The Chief Ombudsman is an Officer of Parliament. The Ombudsman investigates complaints about administrative actions made at all levels of government in New Zealand – central, regional, and local. It also seeks to ensure that the public has proper access to official information.

In its report, the Officers of Parliament Committee noted they received support from political parties for Mr Allen’s appointment and then resolved to recommend Mr Allen to the role.

The outgoing Chief Ombudsman, Peter Boshier, was first appointed Chief Ombudsman in December 2015, following a distinguished career as a Judge. In May 2020 he was reappointed for a second five-year term.

As required by law, Mr Boshier resigned from the role on his 72nd birthday, 16 March 2024, but was asked to stay on until a replacement was found.

The committee thanked Mr Boshier for his many years of public service and wished him all the best for his retirement.

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