'I know this will be a shock': Foster's first messages to Home Affairs staff

Ms Foster had positioned herself well to lead a department, with years of policy experience and a good reputation behind her.

The Albanese government had even tapped her to act in the APS' most senior role - Prime Minister & Cabinet secretary - while they sought out their replacement for Phil Gaetjens, following the 2022 election. Still, it was not the rise she would have anticipated.

She was shuffled in to act as secretary in September 2023, after Nine newspapers published allegations former Home Affairs boss Mr Pezzullo had sought to wield political influence, over the course of hundreds of text messages with a Liberal powerbroker.

Minutes after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced Mr Pezzullo would stand aside from the role, Ms Foster wrote to staff at the Home Affairs department according to correspondence obtained by Public Eye in a freedom of information request.

"The Prime Minister has just announced that secretary Michael Pezzullo AO will stand aside while an independent review is undertaken by the Australian Public Service Commissioner," Ms Foster wrote in an all-staff email sent at 12.57pm on September 25.

"The Minister for Home Affairs has asked me to act as secretary while the review takes place.

"I know this will be a shock to many of you. It is important that we work closely together to continue the critical work of the organisation during this time," she concluded, urging staff to reach out to managers for support.

Ms Foster's email landed hours after Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil's morning announcement she would refer the matter to the Public Service Commission. One can only imagine the energy inside the department's Belconnen office in those intervening hours.

It seems Ms Foster does not write regular updates to all staff, as Public Eye's request turned up only four emails between September 25, 2023 and January 2, 2024 - all of which were delivered urgently in response to some new seismic piece of news.

On November 15, another midday email arrived, this time announcing the cryptic news that Air Marshal Darren Goldie has been recalled to Defence over a workplace matter. The government still has not released further information on the matter.

By November, the department had its first new leader since 2017, after the Public Service Commission inquiry found Mr Pezzullo had breached the APS code of conduct on at least 14 occasions, and recommended he be sacked.

Ms Foster was the one to break the news to staff, in an email sent at 9.54am on November 27 - this time, minutes before the first media reports were published.

A day later the Prime Minister had appointed her to the top job, but it wasn't until November 30 that she wrote an inaugural message to public servants.

"Just a quick note to say how honoured and excited I am to be appointed as your secretary, and how much I am looking forward to continuing to work with you all," she wrote in the email, sent at 10.18am.

"We have lots to do - responding to the many policy and operational challenges confronting us, implementing the government's migration and cyber security strategies, working up a new policy agenda for 2024 with our ministers - and of course continuing our work to refresh and reset the organisation and its culture."

Ms Foster forecast an optimistic future for the department, one built on, well, public service.

"Of one thing I am sure: there is a wealth of opportunity for us to continue to make a difference to Australia's prosperity, unity and security, and to the lives of Australians and those who seek to come to Australia," she wrote.

"Thanks, as ever, for your professionalism and dedication, for your creativity and good humour, and for all the goals you kick as a team.

"Onwards and upwards!" she finished.

The Albanese government's Audit of Employment revealed an additional workforce of 54,000 contractors and external providers under the Morrison government in 2021-22.

Public Eye asked the Department of Finance - which led the audit - whether another one was on the horizon.

"A decision on future audits is subject to government consideration," a spokesperson said.

Fair enough, so we asked Finance and Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher's office instead.

"This matter is subject to government decision," Senator Gallagher's spokesperson said.

Have they made a decision? Or are they deciding on what they will consider? We can't decide.

Defence Minister Richard Marles was not pleased to learn his department had spent $800,000 upgrading a Canberra office for him, back in November 2022.

Mr Marles refused to move into the executive office in Defence's Russell precinct, and insisted he was not consulted on the cost of the revamp.

Freedom of information documents later revealed the minister's chief of staff, Jo Tarnawsky, sent a sternly worded email to Defence secretary Greg Moriarty over the matter.

It included such lines as: "The Deputy Prime Minister does not need nor did he request an office be purpose-built for him or any other minister."

Yikes. Anyway, who occupies the $800,000 office now? Public Eye has learnt deputy secretary Hugh Jeffrey and his staff have kindly taken it over.

Mr Jeffrey oversees the strategy, policy and industry group. In comfort, we presume.

Public Eye missed this amusing exchange between Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie, Labor senator Glenn Sterle and the Australian Rail Track Corporation's (ARTC) group executive at the last Senate estimates.

Luckily, a question on notice captured the back-and-forth between the senators and Simon Ormsby, on the subject of lip balm.

"At the [Australian Logistics Council] conference in Brisbane earlier in May there were lip balms on the tables provided by the ARTC. Do you know about them?" Senator Sterle asked.

"No," Mr Ormsby responded.

"You don't know about them? Take it on notice and come back in February and we'll talk about lip balm," Senator Sterle said.

When Mr Ormbsy asked what the question was, Senator Sterle helpfully clarified: "Lip balm."

"Why are you sponsoring lip balms is the question," Senator McKenzie added.

The answer: Inland Rail was a sponsor at the conference, and "provided 160 units of lip balms".

The motivation? Unknown.