Australian Public Service Commissioner
Dr Gordon de Brouwer PSM
Gordon was appointed as the Australian Public Service Commissioner commencing 11 May 2023 and was previously the Secretary for Public Sector Reform. Prior to this Gordon was Professor of Economics, jointly appointed to the Crawford School of Public Policy and College of Business and Economics.
Gordon has extensive experience in public policy and administration in Australia, including as Secretary of the Department of the Environment and Energy (2013-17) and senior roles in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (including Associate Secretary of Domestic Policy Group and G20 Sherpa, 2008-13), Treasury (2002-08), ANU (Professor of Economics, 2000-02) and the Reserve Bank of Australia (1991-99).
He is committed to public value, high-quality policy and implementation, and effective government. Gordon has a PhD in economics from the Australian National University, and was awarded a Public Service Medal in 2011.
Role of the Australian Public Service Commissioner
The Australian Public Service Commissioner takes a leading role in ensuring that the Australian Public Service has the organisational and workforce capability to meet future needs, working collectively with Secretaries in stewardship of the APS.
The Commissioner has both statutory functions (under the Public Service Act 1999) and policy responsibilities.
The Commissioner's overarching functions, as set out in section 41 of the Public Service Act, are:
- to strengthen the professionalism of the APS and facilitate continuous improvement in workforce management in the APS;
- to uphold high standards of integrity and conduct in the APS;
- to monitor, review and report on APS capabilities within and between Agencies to promote high standards of accountability, effectiveness and performance.
The Commissioner's functions also include promoting the APS Values, Employment Principles, and Code of Conduct.
The Commissioner reports annually to Parliament on the state of the service, including changes in the environment and infrastructure of the APS and emerging issues.
The Commissioner also has a number of inquiry and review functions including:
- inquiries into allegations of misconduct by agency heads, and, in certain circumstances, APS employees and former employees;
- systems reviews into management and structural issues within an agency, or the relationship between agencies;
- special reviews into any matter relating to an agency or the relationship between agencies.
The systems and special reviews are undertaken at the direction of the Prime Minister.
The full list of the Commissioner's functions is set out in the Public Service Act 1999.
