Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)

Last updated
Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Incumbent
Glyn Davis
since 6 June 2022 (2022-06-06)
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Appointer Prime Minister
Inaugural holder Malcolm Shepherd
Formation1 January 1912 (1912-01-01)

The secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is the public service head of Australia's Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and the most senior public servant in the administration of Government in Australia.

Contents

The secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet should not be confused with the Cabinet secretary , a ministerial position within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio responsible for assisting the prime minister in the procedural and operational matters of the Cabinet of Australia.

The secretary of the DPMC is Australia’s highest-paid bureaucrat, earning more than $914,000, as of 2019. [1]

List of secretaries

Below is the list of secretaries, since the first appointment was made on 1 January 1912.

OrderNameTitleDate appointment
commenced		Date appointment
ceased		Term in office Prime Minister(s) Ref(s)
1 Malcolm Shepherd, CMG Secretary to the Prime Minister's Department 1 January 191227 January 19219 years, 26 days Fisher; Cook; Fisher; Hughes [2]
2 Percy Deane, CMG 11 February 192131 December 19287 years, 324 daysHughes; Bruce [3]
3 Sir John McLaren, CMG 1 January 19292 March 19334 years, 60 daysBruce; Scullin; Lyons [4]
4 John Starling, CMG , OBE 3 March 193310 November 19352 years, 252 daysLyons
5 Frank Strahan, CVO , CBE 11 November 193525 August 194913 years, 287 daysLyons; Page; Menzies; Fadden; Curtin; Forde; Chifley
6 Sir Allen Brown, CBE 25 August 194931 December 19589 years, 128 daysMenzies
7 Sir John Bunting, CBE 1 January 195910 March 19689 years, 69 daysMenzies; Holt; McEwen; Gorton
8 Sir Lenox Hewitt, OBE 11 March 196812 March 19713 years, 1 dayGorton; McMahon [5]
n/aSir John Bunting, CBE Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet17 March 197131 January 19753 years, 320 daysMcMahon; Whitlam [6] [7]
9 John Menadue 1 February 197530 September 19761 year, 242 daysWhitlam; Fraser [7] [8]
10 Sir Alan Carmody, CBE 1 October 197612 April 1978 1 1 year, 193 daysFraser [8] [9] [10] [11]
11 Sir Geoffrey Yeend, AC , CBE 18 April 197810 February 19867 years, 298 daysFraser; Hawke [12] [13] [14]
12 Mike Codd, AC 10 February 19861 December 19915 years, 294 daysHawke [13]
13Dr Michael Keating, AC 1 December 199113 May 19964 years, 164 daysHawke; Keating; Howard [15]
14 Max Moore-Wilton, AC 13 May 199620 December 20026 years, 221 daysHoward [15] [16]
15Dr Peter Shergold, AC 10 February 200328 February 20085 years, 20 daysHoward; Rudd [17]
16 Terry Moran, AC 3 March 20085 September 20113 years, 186 daysRudd; Gillard [18]
17Dr Ian Watt, AO 5 September 201130 November 20143 years, 86 daysGillard; Rudd; Abbott [19]
18 Michael Thawley, AO 1 December 201423 January 20161 year, 53 days Abbott, Turnbull [20]
19Dr Martin Parkinson, AC , PSM 23 January 20162 September 20193 years, 222 daysTurnbull, Morrison [21]
20 Phil Gaetjens 2 September 201922 May 20222 years, 262 daysMorrison [22] [23]
21 Stephanie Foster, PSM Acting Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet22 May 20225 June 202214 daysAlbanese
22Prof Glyn Davis ACSecretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet6 June 20222 years, 34 daysAlbanese [24] [25]
Notes
^1 Sir Alan Carmody CBE died suddenly of coronary vascular disease on 12 April 1978; during the term of his appointment. [10] [11]

Historical arrangements

Within days of John Gorton becoming Prime Minister, the functions of the Prime Minister's Department was split and a Department of the Cabinet Office was established. [26] [27] [28] [29] [30] On taking office as Prime Minister in 1971, William McMahon reversed Gorton's changes and restored earlier changes via the creation of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. A lesser role of Secretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council was established for a short time; abolished in the early days of the Whitlam government. [31] [32] [33] Upon election to office in 1996, John Howard established a separate Cabinet Office within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The Cabinet Office was a small unit, staffed from within and outside the public service, which provided the Prime Minister with advice on issues before Cabinet as well as strategic policy directions. [34]

Secretary to the Department of the Cabinet Office

OrderNameTitleDate appointment
commenced		Date appointment
ceased		Term in officeRef(s)
1Sir John Bunting CBE Secretary to the Department of the Cabinet Office11 March 196817 March 19713 years, 6 days [26]
2 Michael L'Estrange AO Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Cabinet Policy Unit8 March 199630 June 20004 years, 114 days [34] [35]

Secretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council

OrderNameTitleDate appointment
commenced		Date appointment
ceased		Term in officeRef(s)
1Sir Lenox HewittSecretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council17 March 197120 December 19721 year, 278 days [31] [36]

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References

  1. ↑ "Minimum wage up as penalty rates trimmed".
  2. ↑ CA 12: Prime Minister's Department, National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 25 March 2017, retrieved 23 March 2014
  3. ↑ Murray-Smith, S. (1981). "Percival Edgar (Percy) Deane (1890–1946)". Deane, Percival Edgar (Percy) (1890–1946). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . Retrieved 30 October 2013.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  4. ↑ McDonald, D. I. (1986). "Sir John Gilbert McLaren (1871–1958)". McLaren, Sir John Gilbert (1871–1958). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . Retrieved 30 October 2013.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  5. ↑ PM.NO.31/1968
  6. ↑ McMahon, William (12 March 1971). "New Administrative Arrangements – Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr William McMahon". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia . Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  7. 1 2 Whitlam, Gough (23 August 1974). "Appointments approved by the Executive Council". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia . Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  8. 1 2 Fraser, Malcolm (6 September 1976). "Senior government appointments". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  9. ↑ Hyslop, Robert (1993). "Sir Alan Thomas Carmody (1920–1978)". Carmody, Sir Alan Thomas (1920–1978). National Centre of Biography, Australian National University . Retrieved 30 October 2013.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  10. 1 2 "Sir Alan Carmody: at the top of the bureaucracy". The Sydney Morning Herald . 13 April 1978. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Obituary: Sir Alan Carmody: a controversial initiator of government activity". The Canberra Times . 13 April 1978. p. 2. Retrieved 4 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ Fraser, Malcolm (18 April 1978). "Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  13. 1 2 Hawke, Bob (10 February 1986). "For media". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  14. ↑ "Yeend named to head PM's". The Canberra Times . 19 April 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 4 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  15. 1 2 Howard, John (9 April 1996). "Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  16. ↑ Howard, John (20 December 2002). "Retirement of Max Moore-Wilton AC". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  17. ↑ Howard, John (2 February 2003). "Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  18. ↑ Rudd, Kevin (6 February 2008). "Secretary of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia . Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  19. ↑ Gillard, Julia (4 August 2011). "Departmental Secretaries". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  20. ↑ Abbott, Tony (20 October 2014). "Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015.
  21. ↑ Turnbull, Malcolm (3 December 2015). "Departmental Secretaries". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia . Retrieved 23 May 2016.
  22. ↑ https://www.pmc.gov.au/who-we-are/the-secretary [ bare URL ]
  23. ↑ "Phil Gaetjens promoted to head of PM&C, Dr Steven Kennedy to lead Treasury". 25 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "Appointment of Professor Glyn Davis AC as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | Prime Minister of Australia". www.pm.gov.au.
  25. ↑ "About Professor Glyn Davis AC". Governor of Victoria. Retrieved 2024-07-09.
  26. 1 2 Gorton, John (11 March 1968). "For press: PM. No. 31/ 1968 Department of the Cabinet Office - Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr John Gorton". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
  27. ↑ Browne, Geoffrey; Millar, Ann; Evans, Harry (2010), "Gorton, Sir John Grey (1911–2002)", The biographical dictionary of the Australian Senate. Volume 3, 1962-1983, University of New South Wales Press, pp. 22–23, ISBN   978-0-86840-996-2 , retrieved 5 November 2013
  28. ↑ "PM plans to split his department". The Canberra Times . 2 March 1968. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  29. ↑ Gaul, Jonathan (5 March 1968). "A think-tank and a Secretariat". The Canberra Times . p. 2. Retrieved 5 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  30. ↑ Gaul, Jonathan (12 March 1968). "PM forms a Cabinet department". The Canberra Times . p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  31. 1 2 McMahon, William (17 March 1971). "Permanent Head of Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council – Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr William McMahon". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  32. ↑ Solomon, David (13 March 1971). "PM sets up new departments". The Canberra Times . p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  33. ↑ "System inefficient". The Canberra Times . 13 March 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 5 November 2013– via National Library of Australia.
  34. 1 2 Howard, John (8 March 1996). "Statement by the Prime Minister designate, The Hon John Howard MP". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  35. ↑ Howard, John (2 February 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to the United Kingdom". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  36. ↑ Whitlam, Gough (20 December 1972). "Appointment of Permanent Heads". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Press release). Commonwealth of Australia . Retrieved 30 October 2013.
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