Secretary of the Department of Defence

Secretary of the Department of Defence
Post	Secretary of the Department of Defence
Department	Department of Defence
Style	Secretary
Reports to	Minister for Defence
Seat	Canberra
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor‑General of Australia
Formation	1901

Contents

Secretary of the Department of Defence is the senior civilian official heading the Department of Defence and serving as principal policy adviser to the Minister for Defence, the Prime Minister of Australia, and the Cabinet of Australia. The office integrates civilian administration with strategic direction for the Australian Defence Force while coordinating with external agencies such as the Attorney-General's Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Department of Finance. The Secretary operates at the nexus of national security decision-making alongside senior military leaders including the Chief of the Defence Force and the service chiefs of the Royal Australian Navy, Australian Army, and Royal Australian Air Force.

Role and Responsibilities

The Secretary leads the Department of Defence in development and execution of defence policy, capability acquisition, and resource allocation, advising the Minister for Defence and participating in interdepartmental forums such as National Security Committee of Cabinet and Defence Strategic Review processes. Responsibilities include oversight of procurement programs involving major projects with contractors like Thales Group, BAE Systems, and Lockheed Martin, administration of personnel policies affecting Defence civilians and agreements with unions such as the Community and Public Sector Union, and governance of legislative compliance under statutes including the Defence Act 1903. The Secretary coordinates responses to crises by liaising with agencies such as the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, and state emergency services during natural disasters like the Black Summer bushfires and events affecting territorial sovereignty in regions including the Coral Sea and Torres Strait. The office represents Australia in bilateral and multilateral forums, engaging counterparts from the United States Department of Defense, Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Department of National Defence (Canada), and regional partners involved in mechanisms like the Five Eyes and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus.

The Secretary is appointed by the Governor-General of Australia on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia and typically serves under the terms of the Australian Public Service framework. Tenure lengths vary; incumbents have been career public servants from the Australian Public Service Commission or senior executives with backgrounds in diplomacy from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, defence procurement from the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, or academia associated with institutions like the Australian National University and the Griffith University. Remuneration and conditions are governed by determinations from the Remuneration Tribunal and subject to parliamentary scrutiny by committees such as the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and the Senate Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee. Dismissal or replacement often follows shifts in administration tied to leaders from parties like the Liberal Party of Australia or the Australian Labor Party and can occur amid inquiries chaired by figures from the Australian National Audit Office or the Commonwealth Ombudsman.

The Secretary oversees a senior executive group including Deputy Secretaries responsible for policy, capability, finance and sustainment, and enterprise services; these deputies interact with statutory bodies such as the Defence Science and Technology Group, the Australian Signals Directorate, and the Australian Geospatial‑Intelligence Organisation. Support functions include legal advisers from the Attorney-General's Department and in-house counsel, internal audit units coordinating with the Australian National Audit Office, and human resources teams aligned with the Australian Public Service Commission. The Secretary chairs boards and committees that include representatives from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Department of Veterans' Affairs, and industry advisory councils engaging firms such as Raytheon Technologies and Babcock International. International liaison offices in capitals like Washington, D.C., London, and Jakarta support defence diplomacy and intelligence-sharing arrangements with agencies including the Central Intelligence Agency and counterparts in the Five Eyes alliance.

Since federation in 1901 the office has been held by a succession of senior administrators drawn from the Commonwealth Public Service and occasionally by individuals with military backgrounds, including figures connected to major events such as the World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and peacekeeping operations in places like East Timor and Solomon Islands. Notable permanent heads have presided over procurement programs for platforms including Hobart-class destroyer, Collins-class submarine, and F-35 Lightning II acquisitions, and have navigated inquiries such as the Brereton Report and ministerial investigations led by commissioners from state bodies like the Australian Federal Police and the Department of Defence Inspector‑General. The office’s evolution reflects shifts in Australian strategic posture in relation to powers including the United States, China, and Indonesia.

Secretaries have driven initiatives such as defence white papers, capability acquisition reform, the establishment of the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, workforce transformation aligned with the Australian Public Service reforms, and cyber capability development in partnership with agencies like the Australian Cyber Security Centre and the Australian Signals Directorate. Reforms have addressed procurement transparency in dealings with international contractors like Navantia and Saab AB, implemented sustainment strategies for platforms including Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle fleets, and developed policy settings for emerging domains such as space in coordination with the Australian Space Agency.

The Secretary maintains a dual relationship: as principal civilian adviser to ministers and Cabinet members such as the Minister for Defence, Treasurer of Australia, and the Prime Minister of Australia; and as an interface with military leadership including the Chief of the Defence Force, the Chief of Army, the Chief of Navy, and the Chief of Air Force. Collaboration extends to parliamentary oversight bodies like the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade and international partners in alliances such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and the Five Power Defence Arrangements. The role requires balancing political direction from parties including the Liberal Party of Australia and the Australian Labor Party with operational advice from military chiefs and strategic input from think tanks like the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and universities such as the University of Sydney.

Category:Australian government officials