00:00of the committee, Chair, I sincerely thank you all for your patience, perspectives and
00:06engagement during my tenure as Secretary for Public Sector Reform and Australian Public
00:11Service Commissioner.
00:17I'm sorry.
00:19It's been an honour to serve the Government, Parliament and Australian people and work
00:25alongside so many committed public servants and inspiring public servants and I thank
00:31you too, Minister.
00:33So thank you, Chair.
00:35And he's ready to answer all your questions for the next hour or so.
00:40That will make me not cry.
00:41I can say that with honesty.
00:45Chair, on indulgence, could I just respond to the Commissioner's remarks there and place
00:52on the record on behalf of the Government and myself as the Minister, a very impressive
00:56record of public service.
00:58For over 35 years, Dr Debrow has worked in the service of the Australian public across a range
01:04of institutions and portfolios including the RBA, Treasury, PM&C, as Secretary of the Department
01:11of Environment, as Secretary of the Department of Environment and Energy, as a panel member
01:17of the independent review of the APS led by David Thody in 2019 and indeed as a member
01:23of the panel of the review of the Reserve Bank as well at the request of the Treasurer
01:28and appointment of the Treasurer.
01:30I feel as Minister we were very fortunate to have Dr Debrow return to public service as
01:34Secretary for APS Reform when we came to Government and wanted to reform the APS and
01:42invest in its capability as an enduring institution of our democratic architecture.
01:52Dr Debrow was a driving force behind helping us to build a more capable, ethical and community
01:57focused public service.
01:59Much of this work laid the foundations for what he has achieved since 2023 in his tenure
02:04as public service commissioner, where he has overseen APS reform, reforms of the Public
02:12Service Act.
02:13He has led, along with his executive team, the doubling of the number of First Nations
02:18SES leaders from 54 in June 2023 to 110 today, further developing the APS Academy, rebuilding
02:27in-house APS expertise and strengthening guardrails around the use of external labour, and importantly
02:33promoting a values-led culture that supports respectful professional workplaces and where
02:38people feel safe to speak up.
02:41And in his opening remarks he alluded to some of the outcomes that we're seeing from that
02:46work.
02:48His leadership also extended to complex integrity matters, including guiding the Centralised
02:53Code of Conduct Inquiry Taskforce for RoboDebt, ensuring a rigorous process and helping embed
02:58lessons learnt across the service.
03:00I worked closely with Dr de Brouwer on that piece of work, and I know the personal and
03:07professional toll that that work placed on his shoulders and of the team, but he led
03:14that work with the utmost integrity.
03:17Having been awarded a Public Service Medal in 2011 for Outstanding Public Service in the
03:22Development of International Economic Policy, Dr de Brouwer leaves the APS with a legacy defined
03:27by integrity, intellectual rigour and an unwavering commitment to the public good.
03:33His leadership has strengthened the APS in lasting ways through reform, stewardship, capability
03:38and a deep belief in the value of public service.
03:41In announcing his retirement, Dr de Brouwer told staff at the APS-C that the Commission doesn't
03:46rely on any one individual, but the collective skills and experience of all its people.
03:50In his true, characteristically humble way, I know that we will miss Dr de Brouwer's expertise
03:57and judgement, for me individually as a Minister, but I know across the APS, but we wish him
04:03well for his retirement and all of the exciting opportunities that lie ahead for him and his
04:09family, so thank you very much.
04:11Thank you, Minister.
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