November 18,2025
RED FM News Desk
British Columbia’s ombudsperson says “crisis-driven” complaints from people trying to access public services are increasing, often leaving individuals without essential support.
In his annual report, Jay Chalke says public services are becoming harder to navigate, government budgets are tightening, and more decisions are being made through artificial intelligence or automated systems.
According to a news release, a growing number of people are seeking help from his office, with more than 17,500 reporting difficulties “navigating unfair public services.”
Chalke says his office dealt with roughly 635 concerns each month involving fairness or wrongdoing, and more than one-third of all complaints involved housing, affordability, or health care—areas where service gaps are becoming more noticeable.
The annual review has renewed calls for his office’s public reports to be automatically sent to a legislative committee for hearings, which Chalke says would be both practical and cost-effective.
He adds that while some public bodies implement his recommendations, others “do not engage meaningfully or leave agreed-to actions unfinished.”
“At a time of tight budgets and increasing pressures, the people who come to us need public bodies to follow through,” Chalke says.
“A legislative committee hearing on our reports would help ensure accountability and transparency when issues in public administration are identified.”
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