Steven Kennedy has been promoted to Secretary of the Department of Prime Minster and Cabinet. Photo: File.
Steven Kennedy is the new Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, promoted from Treasury to become the nation’s most senior public servant.
Dr Kennedy replaces Glyn Davis, who tendered his resignation following the federal election in May.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his address to the National Press Club on Tuesday (10 June) to announce the appointment.
The PM also revealed that Finance secretary Jenny Wilkinson was being promoted to replace Dr Kennedy as Treasury secretary.
“Today, I am pleased to confirm the appointment of Dr Steven Kennedy as Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet,” Mr Albanese said.
“And Jenny Wilkinson as Secretary to the Treasury, the first woman to be appointed to the role.
“These outstanding public servants will continue to excel in their service to our nation.
“I am delighted that Dr Kennedy and Ms Wilkinson accepted my invitations.
“I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank Glyn Davis, the outgoing Secretary, for his service and his contribution to our country.”
Jenny Wilkinson moves from the top job in Finance to be the first female Secretary of Treasury Secretary. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Following his address, the Prime Minister was asked about the incident in Los Angeles where Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was shot by the LAPD with a rubber bullet.
He would not reveal whether he would discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump at the G7 this month, but said his government had already raised it with the US Administration.
“I spoke with Lauren this morning. She’s going OK. She’s pretty resilient,” Mr Albanese said.
The PM described the incident as horrific and unacceptable.
“That was the footage of an Australian journalist doing what journalists do at their very best,” he said.
“We have already raised these issues with the US administration. We don’t find it acceptable that it occurred.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed his outrage over the shooting of an Australian journalist working in Los Angeles. Photo: Thomas Lucraft.
The PM used his Press Club address to outline his second term agenda, which he said was building on the foundation Labor set during its first term in office.
“Our government is focused on delivery,” he said.
“We know that delivery matters for all those Australians who voted Labor for lower taxes, stronger Medicare, better education and new help with the cost of living.
“Delivering these commitments matters for every Australian, regardless of who they voted for.
“It matters for our economy for the jobs, skills, technology, infrastructure and energy we need to grow and thrive in the years ahead.
“It also matters for our democracy.”
Mr Albanese referenced current global turmoil and defended Australia’s democracy and political system as things that set us apart from the rest of the world.
“We are living in a time of significant global uncertainty and that reaches beyond just economic instability,” he said.
“It is the more corrosive proposition that politics and government and democratic institutions, including a free media, are incapable of meeting the demands of this moment.
“Some simply dismiss such sentiment. Others cynically seek to harvest it. Our responsibility is to disprove it. To recognise that some of this frustration is drawn from people’s real experiences, the feeling that government isn’t working for them.
“To counter this, we have to offer the practical and positive alternative.
“To prove that a good, focused, reforming Labor government can make a real and positive difference to people’s lives. And that we can do this while building for the future too.
“Our vision is for a society that is a microcosm for the world where all are respected and valued and our diversity is recognised as a strength…
“Our agenda has been shaped by the lives and priorities of the Australian people.”
Mr Albanese also announced a productivity roundtable bringing together vast sectors of the community later this year.
He said Treasurer Jim Chalmers would convene the roundtable to “support and shape” the government’s growth and productivity agenda.
“At Parliament House in August, we will bring together a group of leaders from the business community, the union movement and civil society,” the PM said.
“This will be a more streamlined dialogue than the Jobs and Skills Summit [from last term), dealing with a more targeted set of issues.
“We want to build the broadest possible base of support for further economic reform. To drive growth, boost productivity, strengthen the budget, and secure the resilience of our economy, in a time of global uncertainty.
“What we want is a focused dialogue and constructive debate that leads to concrete and tangible actions. We want to build an economy where growth, wages and productivity rise together.”
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
