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

Post:Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Incumbent:Glyn Davis
Appointer:Prime Minister
Inaugural:Malcolm Shepherd
Department:Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

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.

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.

width=5 Order width=190 Name width=250 Title width=120 Date appointment
commenced 		width=120 Date appointment
ceased 		width=120 Term in office width=50 Ref(s)
1 Malcolm Shepherd, Fisher
2 Percy Deane, [2]
3 Sir John McLaren, [3]
4 John Starling, align=right Lyons
5 Frank Strahan, align=right
6 Sir Allen Brown, align=right Menzies
7 Sir John Bunting, align=right
8 Sir Lenox Hewitt, align=right [4]
n/a Sir John Bunting, Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet align=right [5]
9 [6]
10 Sir Alan Carmody, Fraser [7] [8] [9]
11 Sir Geoffrey Yeend, [10] [11]
12 Mike Codd, Hawke [12]
13 Dr Michael Keating, [13]
14 Max Moore-Wilton, Howard [14]
15 Dr Peter Shergold, align=right [15]
16 Terry Moran, align=right [16]
17 Dr Ian Watt, align=right [17]
18 Michael Thawley, align=right [18]
19 Dr Martin Parkinson, align=right Turnbull, Morrison[19]
20 Phil Gaetjensalign=right Morrison[20] [21]
21 Stephanie Foster, Acting Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet 5 June 2022 Albanese
22Prof Glyn Davis ACSecretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet6 June 2022Albanese[22] [23]
Notes
  • Sir Alan Carmody died suddenly of coronary vascular disease on 12 April 1978; during the term of his appointment.[9] [24]

    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.[25] [26] [27] 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.[28] [29] 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.[30]

    Secretary to the Department of the Cabinet Office

    width=5 Order width=150 Name width=450 Title width=120 Date appointment
    commenced     		width=120 Date appointment
    ceased     		width=120 Term in office width=10 Ref(s)
    1 Sir John Bunting Secretary to the Department of the Cabinet Office align=right [31]
    2 Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Cabinet Policy Unit [32]

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

    width=5 Order width=150 Name width=450 Title width=120 Date appointment
    commenced     		width=120 Date appointment
    ceased     		width=120 Term in office width=10 Ref(s)
    1 Sir Lenox Hewitt Secretary to the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council align=right [33] [34]

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Minimum wage up as penalty rates trimmed.
    2. Book: Murray-Smith, S.. Deane, Percival Edgar (Percy) (1890–1946) . Percival Edgar (Percy) Deane (1890–1946) . . National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 1981. 30 October 2013.
    3. Book: McDonald, D. I.. McLaren, Sir John Gilbert (1871–1958) . Sir John Gilbert McLaren (1871–1958) . . National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 1986. 30 October 2013.
    4. https://pmtranscripts.pmc.gov.au/sites/default/files/original/00001795.pdf PM.NO.31/1968
    5. McMahon, William. William McMahon. New Administrative Arrangements – Statement by the Prime Minister, Mr William McMahon. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 12 March 1971. 30 October 2013.
    6. Whitlam, Gough. Gough Whitlam. Appointments approved by the Executive Council. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 23 August 1974. 30 October 2013.
    7. Fraser, Malcolm. Malcolm Fraser. Senior government appointments. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 6 September 1976. 30 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101030704/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=4223. 1 November 2013.
    8. Book: Hyslop, Robert. Carmody, Sir Alan Thomas (1920–1978) . Sir Alan Thomas Carmody (1920–1978) . . National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 1993. 30 October 2013.
    9. News: 13 April 1978. The Sydney Morning Herald. Sir Alan Carmody: at the top of the bureaucracy. 30 October 2013.
    10. Fraser, Malcolm. Malcolm Fraser. Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 18 April 1978. 30 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101030622/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=4688. 1 November 2013.
    11. News: Yeend named to head PM's. . . 19 April 1978 . 4 November 2013 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
    12. Hawke, Bob. Bob Hawke. For media. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 10 February 1986. 30 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101030222/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=6835. 1 November 2013.
    13. Howard, John. John Howard. Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 9 April 1996. 30 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101045925/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=9973. 1 November 2013.
    14. Howard, John . John Howard . Retirement of Max Moore-Wilton AC . . . 20 December 2002 . 30 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101045451/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=12810 . 1 November 2013 .
    15. Howard, John . John Howard . Secretary, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . . . 2 February 2003 . 30 October 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131101045736/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=20570 . 1 November 2013 .
    16. Rudd, Kevin. Kevin Rudd . Secretary of Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . . . 6 February 2008 . 30 October 2013 .
    17. Gillard, Julia. Julia Gillard. Departmental Secretaries. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 4 August 2011. 29 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101004511/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=18051. 1 November 2013.
    18. Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. https://web.archive.org/web/20150126002847/https://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-10-30/secretary-department-prime-minister-and-cabinet. 26 January 2015. Tony. Abbott. Tony Abbott. Australian Government. 20 October 2014.
    19. Departmental Secretaries. 3 December 2015. Commonwealth of Australia. 23 May 2016. Turnbull, Malcolm. Malcolm Turnbull. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
    20. https://www.pmc.gov.au/who-we-are/the-secretary
    21. Web site: Phil Gaetjens promoted to head of PM&C, Dr Steven Kennedy to lead Treasury. 25 July 2019.
    22. Web site: 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.
    23. Web site: About Professor Glyn Davis AC . 2024-07-09 . Governor of Victoria . en.
    24. News: Obituary: Sir Alan Carmody: a controversial initiator of government activity. The Canberra Times. 13 April 1978. 2. National Library of Australia. 4 November 2013.
    25. News: PM plans to split his department . . 2 March 1968 . 5 November 2013 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
    26. News: Gaul, Jonathan . A think-tank and a Secretariat . . 5 March 1968 . 5 November 2013 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
    27. News: Gaul, Jonathan . PM forms a Cabinet department . . 12 March 1968 . 5 November 2013 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
    28. News: Solomon, David . PM sets up new departments. . . 13 March 1971 . 5 November 2013 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
    29. News: System inefficient. . . 13 March 1971 . 5 November 2013 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
    30. Statement by the Prime Minister designate, The Hon John Howard MP . 8 March 1996 . . . Howard, John . John Howard . 10 November 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131110140511/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=9953 . 10 November 2013 .
    31. Gorton, John. John Gorton. 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. Commonwealth of Australia. 11 March 1968. 29 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101005609/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=1795. 1 November 2013.
    32. Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to the United Kingdom . 2 February 2000 . . . Howard, John . John Howard . 10 November 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131110135856/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=11579 . 10 November 2013 .
    33. McMahon, William. William McMahon. 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. Commonwealth of Australia. 17 March 1971. 30 October 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131101004710/http://pmtranscripts.dpmc.gov.au/browse.php?did=2385. 1 November 2013.
    34. Whitlam, Gough . Gough Whitlam . Appointment of Permanent Heads . . . 20 December 1972 . 30 October 2013 .

    This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)".

    Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.