| Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet | |
|---|---|
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1911 |
| Jurisdiction | Australia |
| Employees | 526 |
| Annual budget | A$140.7 million (2007/08) |
| Minister responsible | Julia Gillard, Prime Minister |
| Agency executive | Dr Ian Watt, AO, Secretary |
| Website | |
| www.dpmc.gov.au | |
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is an Australian Government department. The Department was first established in 1911 (it was then known as the Prime Minister's Department; the later title was created in 1971). Its role is to ensure that policy proposals put to the Prime Minister and to Cabinet are developed in a coherent, informed and coordinated fashion, to co-ordinate the implementation of key government programmes, to support official visits, ceremonies and state occasions and, to manage the operations of the official residences. The responsibilities of the Department are considerably wider than in most other Westminster systems, although the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in New Zealand has similar responsibilities.
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The Department is organised into a Cabinet Division, an Economic Division, an Industry, Infrastructure and Environment Division, an International Division, a National Security Division, a Social Policy Division and a People, Resources and Communications Division and numerous Task Forces to deal with particular problems. The Secretary of the Department, currently Dr Ian Watt, is the equivalent of the Cabinet Secretary in Britain or the Clerk of the Privy Council in Canada. The acting National Security Advisor is Dr Margot McCarthy.
Prior to 1911, the Prime Minister had no department of his own as such. The Prime Minister was concurrently the Minister for External Affairs, and used the services of the Department of External Affairs.
On 1 July 1911, the Prime Minister's Department was created.
On 11 March 1968, a separate Department of the Cabinet Office was created.
On 12 March 1971, these two departments were merged to create the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
The Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is the public service head of the department and the most senior public servant in Australia. Below is the list of Secretaries since 1911 (until 1971, the office was Secretary of the Prime Minister's Department).
| Name | Dates |
|---|---|
| Malcolm Shepherd | 1911–1921 |
| Percival Deane, CMG | 1921–1928 |
| Sir John McLaren | 1928–1933 |
| John Starling | 1933–1935 |
| Frank Strahan | 1935–1949 |
| Sir Allen Brown | 1949–1959 |
| Sir John Bunting, CBE | 1959–1968 |
| Sir Lenox Hewitt | 1968–1971 |
| Sir John Bunting | 1971–1974 |
| John Menadue | 1974–1976 |
| Sir Alan Carmody, CBE | 1976–1978 |
| Sir Geoffrey Yeend | 1978–1986 |
| Mike Codd | 1986–1992 |
| Dr. Michael Keating | 1992–1996 |
| Max Moore-Wilton | 1996–2003 |
| Dr. Peter Shergold, AM | 2003–2008 |
| Terry Moran | 2008–2011 |
| Dr Ian Watt, AO | 2011 - |
The post of National Security Advisor was formed in December 2008.
| Name | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MAJGEN Duncan Lewis, AO, DSC, CSC (Ret'd) | 2008–2011 | Currently serving as the Secretary of Defence |
| Dr Margot McCarthy | 2011 - Incumbent | Acting |