3 June 2025

The Water Cooler: Comings and goings in the public service

| Andrew McLaughlin
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combined image of two smiling women

Elsy Brammesan (left) has been appointed as Health and Wellbeing Branch Manager at the National Indigenous Australians Agency. Petra Gartmann has been appointed as Chief Counsel in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Photos: LinkedIn.

A breakdown of the latest appointments in the Australian Public Service, the wider public sector and across the public services of the states and territories.

APS Senior Executive Service

Band 1

Elsy Brammesan has been appointed as Health and Wellbeing Branch Manager at the National Indigenous Australians Agency.

Catherine Orchard has been appointed as an Assistant Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care.

Band 2

Petra Gartmann has been appointed as Chief Counsel in the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Other Federal Appointments

Robert Morgan has announced he will retire as chair of the Australia Council. Deputy chair Professor Wesley Enoch has been appointed as acting chair.

smiling man in front of a QUT sign

Professor Wesley Enoch has been appointed as acting chair of the Australia Council. Photo: QUT.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has finalised counting for the Australian Senate for the next Parliament. The senators by state and party affiliation are:

ACT – David Pocock (IND) and Katy Gallagher (LAB).

NSW – Tony Sheldon (LAB), Andrew Bragg (LIB), Tim Ayres (LAB), Jessica Collins (LIB), Mehreen Faruqi (GRN) and Warwick Stacey (PHON).

The continuing senators for NSW are Jenny McAllister (LAB), Deborah O’Neill (LAB), Ross Cadell (NAT), Maria Kovacic (LIB), Dave Sharma (LIB) and David Shoebridge (GRN).

VIC – Raffaele Ciccone (LAB), James Paterson (LIB), Jess Walsh (LAB), Jane Hume (LIB), Steph Hodgins-May (GRN) and Michelle Ananda-Rajah (LAB).

The continuing senators for Victoria are Lisa Darmanin (LAB), Jana Stewart (LAB), Sarah Henderson (LIB), Bridget McKenzie (NAT), Lidia Thorpe (IND) and Ralph Babet (UAP).

QLD – Paul Scarr (LNP), Nita Green (LAB), Susan McDonald (LNP), Corinne Mulholland (LAB), Larissa Waters (GRN) and Malcolm Roberts (PHON).

The continuing Senators for Queensland are Anthony Chisholm (LAB), Murray Watt (LAB), Matt Canavan (LNP), James McGrath (LNP), Pauline Hanson (PHON) and Penny Allman-Payne (GRN).

WA – Ellie Whiteaker (LAB), Slade Brockman (LIB), Varun Ghosh (LAB), Jordon Steele-John (GRN), Matt O’Sullivan (LIB) and Tyron Whitten (PHON).

The continuing Senators for WA are Sue Lines (LAB), Glenn Sterle (LAB), Michaelia Cash (LIB), Dean Smith (LIB), Dorinda Cox (GRN, but on 2 June announced she was defecting to Labor) and Fatima Payman (Aus Voice).

SA – Marielle Smith (LAB), Alex Antic (LIB), Karen Grogan (LAB), Anne Ruston (LIB), Sarah Hanson-Young (GRN) and Charlotte Walker (LAB).

The continuing senators for SA are Leah Blyth (LIB), Kerrynne Liddle (LIB), Andrew McLachlan (LIB), Don Farrell (LAB), Penny Wong (LAB) and Barbara Pocock (GRN).

NT – Malarndirri McCarthy (LAB) and Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (CLP/LIB).

TAS – Carol Brown (LAB), Claire Chandler (LIB), Nick McKim (GRN), Richard Dowling (LAB), Jacqui Lambie (JLN) and Richard Mansell Colbeck (LIB).

The continuing senators for Tasmania are Helen Polley (LAB), vacant (LAB), Wendy Askew (LIB), Jonathon Duniam (LIB), Peter Whish-Wilson (GRN) and Tammy Tyrrell (IND).

combined image of a woman and a man

Katy Gallagher and David Pocock have been re-elected as senators for the ACT. Photos: George Tsotsos & Michelle Kroll.

Following an agreement between the Liberal and National parties, the Federal Coalition has named its Shadow Cabinet:

  • Leader of the Opposition – Sussan Ley
  • Shadow Minister for the Public Service – Senator James Paterson
  • Shadow Minister for Women – Melissa McIntosh
  • Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians, Shadow Minister for Social Services – Senator Kerrynne Liddle
  • Shadow Treasurer (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) – Ted O’Brien
  • Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness – Senator Andrew Bragg
  • Shadow Minister for Small Business, Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment – Tim Wilson
  • Shadow Minister for Agriculture (Leader of the Nationals) – David Littleproud
  • Shadow Minister for the Environment – Angie Bell
  • Shadow Minister for Water, Shadow Minister for Fisheries and Forestry – Senator Ross Cadell
  • Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) – Senator Michaelia Cash
  • Shadow Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism (Deputy Leader of the Nationals) – Kevin Hogan
  • Shadow Minister for Health and Aged Care, Shadow Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, Shadow Minister for Sport (Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) – Senator Anne Ruston
  • Shadow Minister for Defence – Angus Taylor
  • Shadow Minister for Veterans’ Affairs – Darren Chester
  • Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, Shadow Minister for Defence Personnel – Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price
  • Shadow Minister for Finance, Shadow Minister for Government Services – Senator James Paterson
  • Shadow Minister for Productivity and Deregulation – Senator Andrew Bragg
  • Shadow Special Minister of State – Senator James McGrath
  • Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction – Dan Tehan
  • Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation (Manager of Opposition Business in the House) – Alex Hawke
  • Shadow Minister for Resources and Northern Australia – Senator Susan McDonald
  • Shadow Minister for Home Affairs – Andrew Hastie
  • Shadow Minister for Emergency Management – Senator Ross Cadell
  • Shadow Minister for Education and Early Learning (Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate) – Senator Jonathon Duniam
  • Shadow Minister for Youth – Angie Bell
  • Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development (Leader of the Nationals in the Senate) – Senator Bridget McKenzie
  • Shadow Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities – Senator James McGrath
  • Shadow Minister for Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories – Dr Anne Webster
  • Shadow Attorney-General, Shadow Minister for the Arts – Julian Leeser
  • Shadow Minister for Communications – Melissa McIntosh.

States and Territories

Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher has been appointed as the new NSW Information Commissioner.

Angus Abadee has been appointed as the NSW Strata and Property Services Commissioner.

Sharni Foulkes has been appointed as the chair of the Western Australia Small Business Development Corporation (SBDC) Board, with Amit Khullar and Adam Grizich appointed as members.

Judge Hylton Quail has been reappointed as president of the Children’s Court of Western Australia for a third term, for an additional five years.

Dr Caroline McElnay has been appointed as Victoria’s new Chief Health Officer.

Terrie Benfield has been appointed as the Victorian Racing Integrity Commissioner.

Amanda Chambers has been appointed as the first female Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria.

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