Congratulations to Secretary Andrew Metcalfe on Order of Australia award
Thursday, 26 January 2012
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen MP, today congratulated Department of Immigration and Citizenship Secretary, Andrew Metcalfe, who was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for meritorious service to immigration and the wider public service.
‘I would like to congratulate Mr Metcalfe on this honour, which is a genuine recognition of his service to successive governments over a long and distinguished public service career,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘It is fitting that Mr Metcalfe's AO was awarded on Australia Day as he has made a significant contribution to Australia’s highly successful migration program, citizenship program, and multicultural and refugee resettlement programs.’
The minister also congratulated the department’s special advisor to the secretary, Martin Bowles, who was awarded a Public Service Medal (PSM) today.
‘Mr Bowles recently joined my department in advance of being appointed as acting secretary when Mr Metcalfe takes a period of long service and study leave from April to September this year,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘Mr Bowles' PSM is a reflection of the significant contribution he made at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, from which he came to my department.’
Mr Metcalfe joined the public service in 1980 and has been secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship since July 2005. In 2010, he was named 'Federal Government Leader of the Year' in the Leadership in Government Awards supported by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia.
He has been involved in public sector and community work, including as a board member of the National Australia Day Council since 2002; as the current President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT Division); as the patron of EXPAND, an Australian public sector-wide network of executive assistants and personal assistants; and other significant roles such as being a White Ribbon Ambassador.
‘This award is also a tribute to the dedicated staff in my department who serve the Australian community from within Australia and in around 60 overseas locations,’ Mr Bowen said.
‘They often work in challenging and complex circumstances, and I thank them for their hard work and dedication.’
Information on Andrew Metcalfe AO
Andrew Metcalfe is the secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. He was initially appointed in July 2005 and reappointed in July 2009. The department comprises about 8,800 staff, located in every state and territory in Australia and more than 60 cities overseas. It provides policy services to government, as well as services to millions of clients each year applying for visas to travel to Australia, for the grant of Australian citizenship and for related matters. The departmental operating budget for 2011-12 is more than $2 billion.
Mr Metcalfe has been a member of the Administrative Review Council since 2003, a board member of the National Australia Day Council since 2002 and an ex-officio member of the Australian Multicultural Council since 2011. He has chaired the Commonwealth-State Standing Committee on Immigration and Multicultural Affairs and successor bodies since 2005 and is a board member of the Australian Public Service Commission’s Strategic Centre for Leadership, Learning and Development. He was chair of the Five Countries Conference, comprising the Immigration Authorities of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, in 2007 and 2011.
Mr Metcalfe is currently the President of the Institute of Public Administration Australia (ACT) and is a White Ribbon Ambassador. He is the patron of EXPAND, a public sector-wide network of executive assistants and personal assistants. He was the patron of the Gundaroo Bush Festival in 2008 and a member of the Public Service Medal Committee from 2008 to 2011.
Between August 2002 and July 2005, Mr Metcalfe was a deputy secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, where he was responsible for coordination of policy advice to the Prime Minister on national security, foreign affairs and machinery of government issues. He was the inaugural chair of the National Counter-Terrorism Committee, chaired the Australian Government Counter-Terrorism Policy Committee and was an ex-officio member of the Council of the Order of Australia.
Having joined the Australian Public Service in 1980 as an administrative trainee, Mr Metcalfe has held a series of positions in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (or its predecessors):
- Deputy Secretary (1999-2002);
- First Assistant Secretary, Border Control and Compliance Division (1998-99);
- Chief of Staff to the Minister for Immigration, Philip Ruddock MP (1996-97);
- Assistant Secretary, Legal Branch (1993-96);
- Regional Migration Director, Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong (1989-93);
- Deputy State Director, Victoria State Office (1987-89);
- Director, Legal Branch (1986-88);
- Executive Officer to the Secretary (1984);
- Various roles, including Parliamentary Liaison Officer, Queensland State Office (1981-84);
and - In 1985, Mr Metcalfe worked as a policy officer in the Office of the Status of Women, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
URL: http://www.minister.immi.gov.au/media/cb/2012/cb182084.htm
Last update: Wednesday, 25 January 2012 at 23:58 AEST