Department of Finance (1976–1997)
{{Short description|Australian government department, 1976–1997}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name = Department of Finance
|logo = Department_of_Finance_(I)_Logo.gif
|logo_width =
|logo_caption =
|preceding1 = Department of the Treasury
|superseding = Department of Finance and Administration
|type = Department
|jurisdiction = Commonwealth of Australia
|employees = 587 (at 30 June 1997){{sfn|Department of Finance|1997|p=64}}
|budget =
|minister1_name =
|minister1_pfo =
|minister2_name =
|minister2_pfo =
| chief1_name = William Cole
| chief1_position = Secretary (1976–1978)
| chief2_name = Ian Castles
| chief2_position = Secretary (1978–1986)
| chief3_name = Michael Keating
| chief3_position = Secretary (1986–1991)
| chief4_name = Steve Sedgwick
| chief4_position = Secretary (1992–1996)
| chief5_name = Peter Boxall
| chief5_position = Secretary (1997)
| headquarters = Canberra
}}
The Department of Finance (also called DoF) was an Australian government department with the mission to support and promote excellence in Commonwealth financial management and budgeting, and in program performance throughout the public sector. The department existed between December 1976 and October 1997.
History
The department was split from the Department of the Treasury in 1976 with the aim to separate financial oversight functions from economic policy functions generally, emulating changes Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau had introduced to his government.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/what-ails-treasury-cannot-be-fixed-with-a-night-of-the-long-knives/story-fn7078da-1226712315822#|title=What ails Treasury cannot be fixed with a night of the long knives|first=Henry|last=Ergas|newspaper=The Australian|date=6 September 2013|publisher=News Corp Australia}}
Outcomes and scope
The department's mission was to support and promote excellence in Commonwealth financial management and budgeting, and in program performance throughout the public sector.{{citation|url=http://www.finance.gov.au/about/vision.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19971113204729/http://www.finance.gov.au/about/vision.htm|title=Our Vision and Mission|author=Department of Finance|publisher=Department of Finance|year=1996|archivedate=13 November 1997}}
Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements, in the department's annual reports and on the department's website.
At its creation, the department dealt with:
- Examination, review and evaluation of governmental expenditure proposals and programs
- Collection and analysis of forward estimates of expenditure
- Administration of the Public Account
Structure
The department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials responsible to the Minister for Finance.
Notes
{{reflist}}
References and further reading
{{refbegin}}
- {{citation|author=Department of Finance|publisher=Department of Finance|url=http://www.finance.gov.au/pubs/AnnualReport/dofar.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/19971113212450/http://www.finance.gov.au/pubs/AnnualReport/dofar.pdf|archivedate=13 November 1997|title=Department of Finance Annual Report 1996-97|date=October 1997}}
{{refend}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Department of Finance (1976-1997)}}
Category:Ministries established in 1976
{{Australia-gov-stub}}