Department secretary
{{short description|Leading public servant of a government department in Australia}}
{{about|the most senior public servant in a government department in Australia|the equivalent role in other countries|Permanent secretary}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox occupation
| name = Departmental secretary
| official_names = Secretary
| type = Public servant
| activity_sector = Australian Government and state and territory governments
| competencies = {{hlist|Strategic advice|Public administration}}
| related_occupation = {{hlist|Government minister|Director general|Chief executive officer}}
}}
Image:RichardsonHowardShergold.jpg (right) in his capacity as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; with then Prime Minister John Howard at a 2005 meeting in the United States.]]
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.
Role
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2020}}
A departmental secretary is in theory,{{Cite web |last=corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House |first=Canberra |title=Patrick Weller "The Australian Public Service: Still Anonymous, Neutral and a Career Service?*" |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/pops/pop40/weller |access-date=2023-03-09 |website=aph.gov.au}} a non-political, non-elected public servant head (and "responsible officer") of government departments, who generally holds their position for a number of years.{{cite press release|author=Rudd, Kevin|author-link=Kevin Rudd|title=Departmental secretaries and statutory office-holders, Canberra|date=13 August 2009|access-date=10 November 2013|work=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|publisher=Commonwealth of Australia|url=http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=16752|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110095906/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=16752|archive-date=10 November 2013}} 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.
=Appointment and termination=
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.{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|psa1999152|Public Service Act, 1999|58}}{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|psa1999152|Public Service Act, 1999|59}}
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.{{cite news |url=http://theconversation.com/abbott-and-the-public-service-where-now-on-department-heads-18465 |author=Podger, Andrew |work=The Conversation |date=20 September 2013 |access-date=10 November 2013 |publisher=The Conversation Media Group |title=Abbott and the public service: where now on department heads? }} In the first Rudd government, secretaries were appointed for a five-year term; prior to this a term of three years was common.{{cite press release|author=Howard, John |author-link=John Howard |title=Senior appointments: Departmental secretaries |date=18 January 2002 |access-date=10 November 2013 |work=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |url=http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=12178 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110115014/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=12178 |archive-date=10 November 2013 }} In 1999, the Howard government sought to remove Paul Barratt {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AO}} as the secretary of the Department of Defence after Barratt fell out of favour with his minister.{{cite journal|author=Waterford, Jack|author-link=Jack Waterford|url=http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/uploads/File/pdf/EurekaStreetClassic/Vol9No7.pdf|volume=9|number=7|page=7|journal=Eureka Street|date=September 1999|title=Defence losing its moorings|access-date=10 November 2013}} Despite being offered a diplomatic post, Barratt refused to vacate the role and commenced legal action,{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s42153.htm|format=transcript|work=PM (ABC Radio)|location=Australia|author1=Colvin, Mark|author-link1=Mark Colvin|author2=Epstein, Rafael|date=6 August 1999|access-date=10 November 2013|title=Defence dismissal goes to court}} claiming unfair dismissal and that the government had failed to follow due process.{{cite interview |last=Barratt |first=Paul |interviewer=Kerry O'Brien |title=Paul Barratt returns to work |publisher =ABC TV |date=19 August 1999 |work=730 |access-date=10 November 2013|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s45176.htm|type=Interview: transcript}} Barratt had a temporary stay,{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/stories/s39406.htm|format=transcript|work=AM (ABC Radio)|location=Australia|author=Reynolds, Fiona|date=28 July 1999|access-date=10 November 2013|title=Defence head gains injunction}} but was dismissed within 14 days,{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s48205.htm|format=transcript|work=PM (ABC Radio)|location=Australia|author1=Colvin, Mark|author-link1=Mark Colvin|author2=Reynolds, Fiona|date=31 August 1999|access-date=10 November 2013|title=Barratt sacked}} and subsequently lost, on appeal in the Federal Court.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s109519.htm|format=transcript|work=PM (ABC Radio)|location=Australia|author1=Colvin, Mark|author-link1=Mark Colvin|author2=Reynolds, Fiona|date=10 March 2000|access-date=10 November 2013|title=Barrett loses appeal against dismissal}}
The most senior Commonwealth public servant is the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, currently Glyn Davis.{{Cite web |url=https://www.pmc.gov.au/who-we-are/the-secretary |access-date=2022-10-09 |website=pmc.gov.au|title=Our Secretary}}
Current Australian Government secretaries
There are currently 16 secretaries within the Australian Government.{{Cite web|title=Secretary appointments to departments of state |url=https://www.pmc.gov.au/government/administration/secretary-appointments |access-date=15 January 2023|website=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet}}
See also
{{portal|Australia|politics}}