Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has declared a "new era" for the Australian public service as Glyn Davis begins work as the nation's top bureaucrat - a man he once did work experience for more than two decades ago.
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The new secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet on Monday replaces Phil Gaetjens, who departed the role shortly after the election of the Albanese Labor government on May 21.
Mr Gaetjens' time in the role was considered controversial with the former PM&C head having worked as a chief of staff to Liberal prime minister Scott Morrison, and to Peter Costello when he was the Howard government's treasurer. He undertook inquiries widely seen as political in nature.
Professor Davis was most recently a chief executive for the philanthropic Ramsay Foundation, but he was also a long-time vice-chancellor of Melbourne University and director-general of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet to the premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie.
That last role is where he took a much younger Dr Chalmers under his wing.
At age 19, and in his second year of university, the now-Treasurer was the work experience kid for Professor Davis as the esteemed academic worked on the republican movement.
Dr Chalmers said the two hit it off, providing a young Jim with some great early career opportunities.
"The thing that I admired about Glyn was ... his generosity of giving me time and encouragement," he told The Canberra Times.
"But also, Glyn is a terrific communicator, particularly written communicator, and, you know, he really kind of spurred an interest for me in writing."
The Labor treasurer said Professor Davis later gave him his first professional job in Queensland's Department of Premier and Cabinet as a research officer.
In that role, Dr Chalmers, then in his early 20s, would take notes and undertake research as his boss met with the state's top public servants.
"I'd be at a little table in the corner taking the minutes of those meetings," he said, recalling his two years there until 2001.
The two have kept in touch over the decades, Dr Chalmers said, and Professor Davis' appointment to the top job feels like "getting the band back together".
"Glyn is one of those, you know, not just incredibly impressive, accomplished people but he's very kind to people as they move up through the ranks," the Treasurer said.
"I, on a personal level, you know, am just absolutely pumped to be able to get to work with him again. And as soon as his appointment was announced, I rang him and conveyed that to him.
"We're very lucky to have him and Australia's very lucky to have him."
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In its first fortnight in power, the Labor government has been eager to send a signal to the public service - ministers want, and expect, policy advice.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told The Canberra Times he wanted "the good, the bad and the ideas" from bureaucrats in stark contrast to his predecessor Scott Morrison, who declared its role was to deliver for the government.
"Public servants advise, governments make decisions, but that should be informed by proper advice. And that is critical," he said.
"I want the best and brightest in Australia to feel and to then actualise going into the public service as playing a role, including in policy development and ideas for the national interest, not to just shuffled paper."
Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek sent a similar message to her department last week, asking public servants to challenge her and deliver bad news, but then be "all in" following a government decision.
Dr Chalmers revealed he's also eager to reverse the "service delivery" approach set by the former Coalition government, having spent consecutive days of briefings with senior Treasury figures in the first few days on the job.
"We hope it's a new dawn for relationships between ministers and the public service," Dr Chalmers said.
"We are reunited with some of the great public servants. In my case, working with Steven Kennedy, you know, is an absolute dream, I've known him a long time as well.
"We want to invest in those relationships, and build up those relationships and build up the capacity in the public service because the absence of that would compromise our policy objectives."
With a looming energy crisis, global supply chain failures, the threat of climate change and geo-political instability in the nearby region and further abroad, the fresh government will need all hands on deck.
The Treasurer said quality advice is something he expects from his department over the next three years.
"One of the things that I conveyed to them is that I need, and expect, frankness," Dr Chalmers said.
"There's no point having a public service that provides anything other than that frank and fearless advice that it's known for, and respected for, around the world."