| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Secretary |
Occupation type | Public servant |
Activity sectors | Australian Government and state and territory governments |
| Description | |
| Competencies | |
Related jobs | |
In Australia, a departmental secretary is the most senior public servant of an Australian Government or state government department. They are typically responsible for the day-to-day actions of a department.
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A departmental secretary is in theory, [1] a non-political, non-elected public servant head (and "responsible officer") of government departments, who generally holds their position for a number of years. [2] A departmental secretary works closely with the elected government minister that oversees the Commonwealth department or state government department in order to bring about policy and program initiatives that the government of day was elected to achieve. A departmental secretary works with other departments and agencies to ensure the delivery of services and programs within the nominated area of responsibility.
The secretary is also known as the chief executive of the department; the position is equivalent to the permanent secretary of a government department in the United Kingdom and is similar to the director general in some non-Commonwealth countries, or the chief executive officer (CEO) in a private company.
In the Australian government, secretaries are the responsible officers for departments. They are answerable to the Australian Parliament for ensuring that the department performs all the functions assigned to it and spends money appropriately, as granted by the Parliament. Secretaries are frequently called for questioning by the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit, the House of Representatives committees and the Senate committees.
The Public Service Act 1999 requires the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to provide a report to the prime minister of the day about the suitability of potential candidates as departmental secretary. The report is prepared in conjunction with the public service commissioner. Appointments and terminations as departmental secretary are made by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister under Sections 58 and 59 respectively of the Act. [3] [4]
Since removal of tenure under Prime Minister Paul Keating, departmental secretaries are generally aware that while dismissals are not common, following a change of government, failure to re-appoint a secretary is certainly a frequent occurrence. [5] In the first Rudd government, secretaries were appointed for a five-year term; prior to this a term of three years was common. [6] In 1999, the Howard government sought to remove Paul Barratt AO as the secretary of the Department of Defence after Barratt fell out of favour with his minister. [7] Despite being offered a diplomatic post, Barratt refused to vacate the role and commenced legal action, [8] claiming unfair dismissal and that the government had failed to follow due process. [9] Barratt had a temporary stay, [10] but was dismissed within 14 days, [11] and subsequently lost, on appeal in the Federal Court. [12]
The most senior Commonwealth public servant is the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, currently Glyn Davis. [13]
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There are currently 16 secretaries within the Australian Government. [14]
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Government. Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens received British honours.
John Colinton Moore is an Australian former politician. He was a Liberal member of the House of Representatives for over 25 years, serving between 1975 and 2001, and was a minister in the Fraser and Howard governments.
Ministers in the New Zealand Government are members of Parliament (MPs) who hold ministerial warrants from the Crown to perform certain functions of government. This includes formulating and implementing policies and advising the governor-general. Ministers collectively make up the executive branch of the New Zealand state. The governor-general is obliged to follow the advice of the prime minister on the appointment and dismissal of ministers.
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The government consists of the parliamentary members of the party or coalition that currently has the support of a majority of members of the House of Representatives and in some contexts also includes the departments and other executive bodies ministers oversee. The current government consists of Anthony Albanese and other Australian Labor Party parliamentarians, in place since the 2022 federal election.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid, consular services and trade and investment. Australia's total official development assistance (ODA) decreased in 2022 due to differences in Australia's financial year reporting and the timing of its COVID-19-related expenditure, representing 0.19% of gross national income (GNI).
The Attorney-General's Department, also known as the Department of the Attorney-General or AG’s Department, is the national law enforcement and justice department of the federal government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The attorney-general’s department is responsible for the enforcement and compliance of federal law, the administration of justice and the oversight of industrial relations affairs. The department oversees various agencies including the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the national Human Rights Commission (AHRC) and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Defence Australia is a department of the Government of Australia charged with the responsibility to defend Australia and its national interests. Along with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), it forms part of the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO) and is accountable to the Commonwealth Parliament, on behalf of the Australian people, for the efficiency and effectiveness with which it carries out the Government's defence policy.
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John Laurence Menadue is an Australian businessman and public commentator, and formerly a senior public servant and diplomat. He served as Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1975 to 1976, working under the Whitlam and Fraser governments. He was later appointed by Malcolm Fraser as Australian Ambassador to Japan, in which position he served from 1977 to 1980. After which Menadue returned to Australia and was appointed the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs from 1980 to 1983. Later, in 1983, he became the Secretary of the Department of the Special Minister of State and the Secretary of the Department of Trade.
Maxwell William Moore-Wilton is an Australian corporate executive and former public servant, colloquially known as "Max the Axe".
Peter Joseph Noozhumurry Varghese is an Australian retired diplomat and public servant. He was the Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 3 December 2012 to 22 July 2016. He announced in November 2015 that he would leave the position in July 2016 to become the chancellor of the University of Queensland.
The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the Government of Australia. The Australian Public Service was established at the Federation of Australia in 1901 as the Commonwealth Public Service and modelled on the Westminster system and United Kingdom's Civil Service. The establishment and operation of the Australian Public Service is governed by the Public Service Act 1999 of the Parliament of Australia as an "apolitical public service that is efficient and effective in serving the Government, the Parliament and the Australian public". The conduct of Australian public servants is also governed by a Code of Conduct and guided by the APS Values set by the Australian Public Service Commission.
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Stuart Rowland Robert is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business from 2021 to 2022, following his appointment as Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme in 2019. He was also appointed Acting Minister for Education and Youth in December 2021 and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fadden upon winning the seat at the 2007 federal election, until his resignation in May 2023.
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