Departmental Secretary
Encyclopedia
A departmental secretary (also known as "the secretary") is the head of an Australia
n Commonwealth or state government department especially in Victoria. The secretary reports directly to the government minister
that oversees the Commonwealth department or state Government department for which they are responsible.
The secretary is also known as the chief executive of the department; the position is similar to director general in other states and other jurisdictions or CEO in a private company.
The most senior Commonwealth departmental secretary is the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
. The most senior state Government departmental secretary is usually the Secretary of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
The equivalent position in the British government is that of permanent secretary
and in the Canadian government is that of deputy minister
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Commonwealth or state government department especially in Victoria. The secretary reports directly to the government minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
that oversees the Commonwealth department or state Government department for which they are responsible.
The secretary is also known as the chief executive of the department; the position is similar to director general in other states and other jurisdictions or CEO in a private company.
The most senior Commonwealth departmental secretary is the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (Australia)
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet is an Australian Government department. The Department was first established in 1911...
. The most senior state Government departmental secretary is usually the Secretary of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet.
The equivalent position in the British government is that of permanent secretary
Permanent Secretary
The Permanent secretary, in most departments officially titled the permanent under-secretary of state , is the most senior civil servant of a British Government ministry, charged with running the department on a day-to-day basis...
and in the Canadian government is that of deputy minister
Deputy minister (Canada)
In Canada, a deputy minister is the senior civil servant in a government department. He or she takes political direction from an elected minister. Responsibility for the department's day-to-day operations, budget and program development lie with the deputy minister...
.