Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce explained

Agency Name:Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce
Formed:13 December 1984
Preceding1:Department of Science and Technology – for technology and industrial research and development
Department of Defence Support – for offsets
Department of Industry and Commerce (II) – for all functions except regional development
Superseding:Department of Industry, Technology and Regional Development
Dissolved:24 March 1993
Type:Department
Jurisdiction:Commonwealth of Australia
Minister1 Name:John Button
Minister1 Pfo:Minister
Chief1 Name:Tom Hayes
Chief1 Position:Secretary (1984–1985)
Chief2 Name:David Charles
Chief2 Position:Secretary (1985–1990)
Chief3 Name:Malcolm McIntosh
Chief3 Position:Secretary (1990)
Chief4 Name:Neville Stevens
Chief4 Position:Secretary (1990–1993)
Headquarters:Barton, Canberra

The Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce was an Australian government department that existed between December 1984 and March 1993.

History

The Department was created by the Hawke government in December 1984, a substantial expansion of the previous Department of Industry and Commerce.[1] Hawke reasoned that including responsibility for technology and civil offsets in the new Department would enable better integration of Australia's industry and technology policies and would increase the competitiveness of Australian industry stimulating growth and employment opportunities.[1]

Scope

Information about the department's functions and government funding allocation could be found in the Administrative Arrangements Orders, the annual Portfolio Budget Statements and in the Department's annual reports.

According to the Administrative Arrangements Order made on 13 December 1984, the Department dealt with:

Structure

The Department was an Australian Public Service department, staffed by officials who were responsible to the Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce. The Minister was John Button.

From 13 December 1984 to 12 March 1985, the Secretary of the Department was Tom Hayes. Hayes left the department in 1985 to become Comptroller-General of the Australian Customs Service, which had been taken out of the department and established as a separate statutory authority.[2]

From 13 March 1985 to 30 June 1990, the Secretary was David Charles. The third Secretary of the department was Malcolm McIntosh, from 1 July 1990 to 22 December 1990. Neville Stevens was appointed the department's fourth and final secretary in December 1990.[3]

Notes and References

  1. Changes to the Ministry and Departmental Arrangements. 11 January 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140111013833/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=6565. Robert. Hawke. Bob Hawke. 11 December 1984.
  2. News: Head of reorganised department. The Canberra Times. 24. 28 August 1985.
  3. Untitled. https://web.archive.org/web/20140404041924/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=8237. 4 April 2014. Robert. Hawke. Bob Hawke. 20 December 1990.