73/07
Tuesday 29 May 2007

Minister welcomes appointment of new Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today welcomed the appointment of Ms Deirdre O’Donnell as the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO).

Ms O’Donnell starts in this role today, replacing Mr John Pinnock, who has served in the role for the past 12 years.

“I would like to acknowledge the significant contribution made by Mr Pinnock over this time, as well as welcoming Ms O’Donnell as Ombudsman,” Senator Coonan said.

Ms O’Donnell has most recently served as the Western Australian Ombudsman, and is highly regarded in the telecommunications sector. She has previously served as the Deputy Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman and has also held senior roles in industry regulation and the telecommunications industry.

“I am sure Ms O’Donnell’s experience and understanding of this dynamic sector, along with an ability to draw on different perspectives will serve her well,” Senator Coonan said.

Over the last 12 years, Mr Pinnock has been an outstanding Ombudsman and a passionate advocate for consumers. He is widely known for having made a very important contribution to the industry as a whole.

“Mr Pinnock’s tenure as Ombudsman has been significant due to the growth in the size and complexity of the telecommunications industry. This has lead to greatly increased pressure on the position of Ombudsman.

“During this period of change Mr Pinnock has maintained a strong focus on investigating, resolving and determining consumer complaints with great dedication and commitment,” Senator Coonan said.

The TIO is a free and independent dispute resolution scheme for small business and residential consumers with unresolved complaints regarding their telephone or internet services. The TIO has the authority to make decisions that are legally binding upon telecommunications companies.