Albanese's new broom sweeps Campbell from DFAT but Pezzullo survives

Kathryn Campbell has been dumped from Foreign Affairs and Trade as part of a public service shake-up that includes four new department secretaries and a dedicated secretary for Public Sector Reform.

But Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has retained controversial Home Affairs boss Michael Pezzullo.

Mr Albanese announced the appointments on Wednesday afternoon (22 June), following Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Ms Campbell was only appointed last year for a five-year term but her role in the Robodebt scandal as the Secretary of the Department of Social Services has likely come back to haunt her.

As predicted, Australia’s Ambassador to Japan, Jan Adams, will replace her.

Ms Adams has previously served as Ambassador to China, as a senior trade negotiator and as Ambassador for Climate Change. She has also had postings to Washington and the OECD Secretariat in Paris. Ms Adams will commence her appointment on 1 July.

Jim Betts will take on Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts, from 11 July, replacing Simon Atkinson.

Mr Betts has extensive experience in the NSW and Victorian public services, including as Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, secretary of the Victorian Department of Transport and CEO of Infrastructure NSW.

Natalie James will head up Employment and Workplace Relations from 11 July.

From 2005 to 2010 she was Chief Counsel to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, becoming a State Manager of that Department in 2010.

In 2013 she was appointed the Fair Work Ombudsman for the Commonwealth. Recently, Ms James has been a partner at Deloitte Australia.

Treasury Deputy Secretary Jenny Wilkinson will replace the retiring Rosemary Huxtable at Finance.

Ms Wilkinson ran the Parliamentary Budget Office from July 2017 to January 2020. Before that, she held senior positions at Treasury, the Department of Industry, the Department of Climate Change, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Reserve Bank of Australia.

Ms Wilkinson will take up her appointment on 9 August.

David Fredericks will leave his role as secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources to lead the newly created super-department covering Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.

Mr Fredericks has extensive senior experience engaging on policy and Budget within the APS and ministers’ offices.

As well as secretary experience in both the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, and the Department of Environment and Energy, he was a deputy secretary at Attorney-General’s and Finance.

He has been a senior Ministerial Adviser at the Commonwealth and state levels. Before that, he served in the Solomon Islands’ Ministry of Treasury and Finance.

His replacement is still to be confirmed.

Dr Gordon de Brouwer will return to the APS as secretary for Public Sector Reform, working to Public Service Minister Senator Katy Gallagher and in close partnership with Australian Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott.

Mr Albanese said Dr de Brouwer would lead and implement a wide range of public sector reforms which will support the government’s commitment to place greater value on the public service and grow its capability.

Mr Atkinson and Mr Campbell will leave their secretary roles from 1 July.

“I thank them both for their service to the Australian Public Service over many years,” he said.

“They have both brought great professionalism and deep experience to the range of roles they have held, and I wish them both the best.”

Ms Campbell would take up a senior appointment in Defence in an AUKUS-related role, he said.

The full list of secretaries and their Departments is:

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet	Prof Glyn Davis AC
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry	Mr Andrew Metcalfe AO
Attorney-General’s Department	Ms Katherine Jones PSM
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water	Mr David Fredericks PSM
Department of Defence	Mr Greg Moriarty
Department of Education	Dr Michele Bruniges AM
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations	Ms Natalie James [from 11 July 2022]
Department of Finance	Ms Jenny Wilkinson PSM [from 9 August 2022]
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade	Ms Jan Adams AO PSM
Department of Health and Aged Care	Prof Brendan Murphy AC
Department of Home Affairs	Mr Michael Pezzullo AO
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts	Mr Jim Betts [from 11 July 2022]
Department of Industry, Science and Resources	TBC
Department of Social Services	Mr Ray Griggs AO CSC
Department of Veterans’ Affairs	Ms Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC
Department of the Treasury	Dr Steven Kennedy PSM