Andrew Podger

Andrew Stuart Podger, AO (born 6 November 1948) is a retired Australian senior public servant. He is currently Professor of Public Policy at the Australian National University.

Andrew Podger AO
Secretary of the Department of the Arts and Administrative Services
In office 1993–1994
Secretary of the Department of Administrative Services
In office 1994–1994
Secretary of the Department of Housing and Regional Development
In office 1994–1996
Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Services
In office 1996–1998
Secretary of the Department of Health and Aged Care
In office 1998–2001
Commissioner of the Australian Public Service
In office 2002–2004
Personal details
Born	Andrew Stuart Podger 6 November 1948
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Public servant, author and academic

Early life

Podger was born 6 November 1948.[1]

Public service career

Podger began his Commonwealth Public Service career in 1968 as a Cadet at the Australian Bureau of Statistics.[1][2] After his time as a statistician he moved to the Social Welfare Commission in 1974 and then to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet in 1975. He was promoted to the Senior Executive Service in the Department of Social Security in 1978, where he stayed until 1982.[3]

In 1982 he joined the Department of Finance.[2] In 1990 Podger went on to hold the position of Deputy Secretary in charge of Acquisition and Logistics in the Department of Defence, where he stayed until 1993.[3][4]

He was appointed Secretary of the Department of the Arts and Administrative Services in 1993,[4] shortly thereafter renamed the Department of Administrative Services[5] He was appointed Secretary of the Department of Housing and Regional Development in April 1994.[5] He then became Secretary of the Department of Health and Family Services in 1996 (later Health and Aged Care).[6]

He then was appointed the Public Service Commissioner in 2002,[7] a role he continued until 2004 when he agreed to head a Task Force in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to examine how to improve the delivery of health services.[8]

Awards

Podger was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2004.[3]

Notes

1. CP 1005: Andrew Stuart PODGER AO, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 11 January 2014
2. Podger, Andrew, "Chapter 2: My fortunate career and some parting remarks", in Wanna, John; Vincent, Sam; Podger, Andrew (eds.), With the Benefit of Hindsight: Valedictory Reflections from Departmental Secretaries 2004–11, p. 7
3. Professor Andrew Podger, Australian National University
4. Keating, Paul (13 December 1993). "STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON PJ KEATING MP PUBLIC SERVICE APPOINTMENTS" (Press release). Archived from the original on 11 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
5. Keating, Paul (20 April 1994). "STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATING, MP APPOINTMENT OF DEPARTMENTAL SECRETARIES" (Press release). Archived from the original on 11 January 2014.
6. History of the Department, Department of Health, 5 November 2013, archived from the original on 5 December 2013
7. Howard, John (18 January 2002). "SENIOR APPOINTMENTS – DEPARTMENTAL SECRETARIES" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
8. Howard, John (22 October 2004). "Appointments of Secretaries" (Press release). Archived from the original on 19 November 2013.

References and further reading

• Podger, Andrew (June 2009), The Role of Departmental Secretaries: Personal reflections on the breadth of responsibilities today, ISBN 9781921536809