Parliament's Officers of Parliament Committee has recommended that the House recommend to the Governor-General that Leo Donnelly's appointment as a temporary Ombudsman be extended for a further 11 months, from 1 August 2017 to 30 June 2018.

Mr Donnelly's appointment as a temporary Ombudsman commenced on 1 August 2016 with the intention of clearing a backlog of “aged” investigations. 

The committee says the Chief Ombudsman notes that some investigations are still to be resolved, "and the work cannot be completed by the end of Mr Donnelly’s current appointment, but that it can easily be completed by the end of the 2017/18 financial year. He therefore seeks Mr Donnelly’s reappointment until this date".