Two top secretaries - Kathryn Campbell and Simon Atkinson - have been dumped by the Prime Minister in his first major reshuffle of the heads of the public service.
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Anthony Albanese announced Jim Betts will replace Mr Atkinson in the top role leading the Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Mr Betts is a former secretary of infrastructure departments in the Victorian and New South Wales governments.
Career diplomat Jan Adams will replace Kathryn Campbell at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Ms Adams has previously served as ambassador to China and ambassador for Climate Change.
Natalie James will head up the newly recreated Department of Employment and Workplace Relations from July 1. Ms James was previously appointed the Fair Work Ombudsman for the Commonwealth.
Finally, Jenny Wilkinson will move from her role as deputy secretary in Treasury to head up the Department of Finance when Rosemary Huxtable retires in August.
Current Industry department secretary David Fredericks will move across to create the new Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. His replacement was not announced in this reshuffle.
Each of the appointments will be for five years.
Dr Gordon de Brouwer, a former head of the Environment department, will return in a newly created role of Secretary for Public Sector Reform. He will implement reforms with partnership with Australian Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott.
Ms Campbell will be taking up a senior appointment in the Defence portfolio in an AUKUS-related role.
'I don't think that is fair to Ms Campbell'
NDIS Minister Bill Shorten rejected suggestions Ms Campbell's removal was related to her role in the 'robodebt' scandal in her previous role as head of the department in charge of Centrelink. Mr Shorten had said he wants a robodebt royal commission to begin as soon as the end of this year.
"The Prime Minister would have taken professional advice and I don't assume that the matters are linked at also I don't think that is fair to Ms Campbell to say otherwise," he told ABC on Wednesday shortly after the announcement.
"The Prime Minister has taken his soundings and right across the senior executive of Australia's public service, some existing leaders have been kept on and some new blood has been brought in ... it seems to be a very exciting mix of the best and brightest of Australia's Commonwealth public servants."
APS department secretaries
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet: Professor Glyn Davis
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry: Andrew Metcalfe
Attorney-General's Department: Katherine Jones
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: David Fredericks
Department of Defence: Greg Moriarty
Department of Education: Dr Michele Bruniges
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations: Natalie James (from July 11, 2022)
Department of Finance: Jenny Wilkinson (from August 9)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Jan Adams
Department of Health and Aged Care: Professor Brendan Murphy
Department of Home Affairs: Michael Pezzullo
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts: Jim Betts (from July 11)
Department of Industry, Science and Resources: TBC
Department of Social Services: Ray Griggs
Department of Veterans' Affairs: Elizabeth Cosson
Department of the Treasury: Dr Steven Kennedy
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Harley Dennett
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
Former federal politics bureau chief for the Canberra Times, via a career that's taken me from rural Victoria to Washington DC. Telling the stories of my local LGBTI community brought me to political journalism, where I've covered eight budgets, four national elections in two countries, Defence, public service and international governance.
