Peter Harris (public servant)

Peter Noel Harris AO is a senior Australian public servant. He was Secretary of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy from 2009 to 2012. He was Chairman of the Australian Productivity Commission between 2012 and 2018.

Peter Harris AO
Secretary of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
In office 2009–2012
Personal details
Born	Peter Noel Harris
Nationality	Australian
Alma mater	University of Queensland (BEc)
Occupation	Public servant

Life and career

Harris joined the Australian Public Service in 1976 as a graduate economist in the Department of Overseas Trade.[1][2] From 1989 to 1991, Harris was senior private secretary to Prime Minister Bob Hawke.[3]

Between 2001 and 2002, Harris was vice president of government and international affairs with the Air New Zealand/Ansett Group. Ansett Australia went into liquidation in March 2002 and Harris joined the Victorian public service that year, serving as the Director of Public Transport and later Secretary of the Department of Sustainability and Environment.[3]

Then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd appointed Harris Secretary of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy in August 2009.[4] In the role, he was responsible for overseeing the roll-out of the $37 billion National Broadband Network.[5]

In November 2012, Harris was appointed Chairman of the Australian Productivity Commission.[6]

Honours

Harris was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2013 for distinguished service to public administration through leadership and policy reform roles in the areas of telecommunications, the environment, primary industry and transport.[7]

References

1. Productivity Commission, Peter Harris AO - Chairman, Australian Government, archived from the original on 9 April 2016
2. Swan, Wayne; Bradbury, David (26 November 2012). "Recommendation to appoint Mr Peter Harris as Chair of the Productivity Commission" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016.
3. Winterford, Brett (13 August 2009). "Fresh face to lead Conroy's department". Archived from the original on 9 April 2016.
4. Rudd, Kevin (13 August 2009). "Departmental secretaries and statutory office-holders, Canberra" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
5. Yeates, Clancy (27 November 2012). "Harris to lead Productivity Commission". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016.
6. Kelly, Joe (27 November 2012). "Harris to step into PC top job". The Australian. News Corp Australia.
7. "Search Australian Honours: HARRIS, Peter Noel, Officer of the Order of Australia", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government, archived from the original on 9 April 2016