AGY-48 | Cabinet Office [I]

Full description

The Cabinet is the central institution for Executive Government in Westminster-style systems of governance although it is a body with no formal legal status. (1)

The Cabinet Office's function is to provide the secretariat for the Cabinet. Records of Cabinet date from 1921. (2)

The Cabinet Office has been closely connected to the Premier's Department since 1922.

The Cabinet Office was known as the Cabinet Section of the Premier's Department in the 1960s and early 1970s. (3) In 1977 the Cabinet and Parliamentary Division of the Premier's Department included the Cabinet and Parliamentary Branch. The Division's function was to provide a secretariat and advisory service to the Premier on Government policy matters, generally, including matters for consideration at Cabinet. The Division also serviced Cabinet and its associated committees and co-ordinated the activities of departments in relation to the preparation of legislation. (4) In 1982 the Cabinet Secretariat and Public Service Division comprised the Public Service Branch, the Cabinet Secretariat and the Legal Branch. In 1982 the Cabinet Division provided a secretariat and advisory service to the Premier on Government policy matters generally, including matters for consideration at Cabinet. It also serviced Cabinet and its associated committees and co-ordinated the activities of departments in relation to the preparation of legislation. Its branches comprised the Natural Resources Branch, the Industrial Resources Branch, the Justice and Consumer Affairs Branch and the Social Development Branch. (5)

In February 1983 the Cabinet Secretariat and Public Service Division within the Premier's Department included the Cabinet Secretariat and Legal Branch and the Public Service Branch. (6) In 1983 the Cabinet Office was responsible for providing services to Cabinet Committees, formulated advice on Cabinet matters and prepared Ministerial and Departmental correspondence. The Cabinet division was composed of the following branches (7):

The Justice and Consumer Affairs Branch;
The Public Service Branch;
The Social Development Branch;
The Natural Resources Branch;
The Industrial Resources Branch; and
The Industrial Relations Branch.

Prior to 1988, the Cabinet Office was known as the Cabinet Division, a branch of the Premier’s Department. The Cabinet Office was established on 14 June 1988 as the central policy agency within the Premier’s administration. (8) The following branches were removed from the Premier's Department and added to the Cabinet Office:

Premier's Advisory Unit;
Cabinet Secretariat;
Industrial Resources Branch;
Justice and Consumer Affairs Branch;
Legal Branch;
Natural Resources Branch; and
Social Development Branch.

With separation of the Cabinet Office from the Premier's Office in 1988, its new head (Gary Sturgess), acquired responsibility for policy development and for the servicing of the Cabinet.

Sturgess was particularly influential, focusing, with the full support of the Premier, on the ‘big picture’ policy issues. He drew up the major policy blueprints for corporatisation in 1988, the policy-management-regulation splits underlying the 1991 reorganisation, assembled the bureaucratic and political interstate and Commonwealth support for Greiner’s federalism initiative in 1990 and drafted the 1992 "Facing the World" document and the Guarantee of Service.

John Fahey, on becoming Premier, reverted to a more conventional relationship with the bureaucracy. He did not continue to work closely with the central agency heads but was closer to his own policy advisers. Sturgess followed Greiner out of government.

Premier Carr retained the separation of policy planning from the more management focussed activities of Premier’s Department, however, he did appoint his own policy advisers.

The role of the Cabinet Office was inextricably linked to Cabinet and the Cabinet Committees. It provided all the secretarial services, including preparation of agendas, recording of decisions, circulation and presentation of Cabinet Minutes and Discussion Papers, and follow-up of required action. The Director-General of the Cabinet Office acted as Secretary to Cabinet.

The development, co-ordination and implementation of government policy was facilitated by the Cabinet Office. The Office ensured that consultation occurred between government agencies on proposed policy initiatives and it assisted in resolving differences between agencies. It was involved in chairing or participating in interdepartmental committees, task forces and working parties.

The Cabinet Office assisted the Premier in identifying and formulating policies that reflect the Government philosophies and co-ordinates State Commonwealth relations for New South Wales. In addition, the Cabinet Office provided the Premier with specialist advice on matters of law and related policy, both in his role as Head of Government and in relation to his own administration. This included the preparation of Cabinet Minutes and providing input into the drafting of legislation.

One of the several branches of the Cabinet Office, the Cabinet Secretariat, coordinated the Government’s Legislative program; provides administrative support in documenting the Opening, Prorogation and Dissolution of Parliament; made arrangements for Executive Council meetings and assisted the Premier with procedures involving changes in Ministry and the appointment of Ministers.

Prior to the State elections held on 25 March 1995, the Cabinet Office consisted of the following branches:

Industry and Development Branch;
Law and Social Policy Branch;
Natural Resources Branch;
Legal Branch;
Inter-governmental Relations Unit;
Regulatory Review Unit;
Cabinet Secretariat;
Natural Resources Audit Council Secretariat;
Catchment Assessment Commission; and
Office of Strategic Planning.

As a result of the restructure of government administration, the following changes were made to the Cabinet Office (9):

· the Catchment Assessment Commission and the Natural Resources Audit Council were transferred to the Department of Land and Water Conservation;
· the Office of Strategic Planning was transferred to the Premier’s Department;
· the Office on Social Policy was transferred to the Cabinet Office from the former Social Policy Directorate; and
· the new social and youth functions were joined to form the Office of Social Justice and Youth Policy within the Cabinet Office.

The Cabinet Office was restructured on 10 July 1995, to more fully integrate the social and youth policy functions into the traditional branch structure. The agency was composed of the following divisions (10):
- Economic Development Branch
- Law and Social Policy Branch
- Natural Resources Branch
- Justice Branch
- Youth Branch
- Legal Branch
- Inter-Governmental Relations Unit
- Regulatory Review Unit
- Cabinet Secretariat.

On 29 August 2005, the Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources was abolished and its branches transferred to different agencies, with the group of staff in the Metropolitan Water Directorate, who in the opinion of the Director-General of the Premier’s Department were principally involved in the administration of the Metropolitan Water Strategy (policy and implementation), transferred to the Cabinet Office. (11)

On 3 March 2006 the Parliamentary Counsel's Office was abolished as a department. The Parliamentary Counsel's Office was then established as a separate office within the Cabinet Office. (12)

On 27 April 2007 the Cabinet Office was abolished and all its branches transferred to the re-titled Department of Premier and Cabinet (formerly known as the Premier’s Department). (13) Other changes included the transfer of the NSW Greenhouse Office from the Cabinet Office to the Department of Environment and Climate Change, and the transfer of the Metropolitan Water Directorate from the Cabinet Office to the Department of Water and Energy. (14)

Endnotes
1. Cabinet Office Legal Branch, 'Cabinet Conventions: NSW Practice', 1995, from Department of Premier and Cabinet website http://www.cabinet.nsw.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0014/95/cabinet_conventions.pdf (cited 25 July 2007).
2. NRS 12084, List of matters dealt with by Cabinet, 1 February 1921-31 July 1923 [9/5106.1-.2].
3. NSW State Departmental Telephone Directory, April 1967, Sydney, Government Information and Sales Centre, 1967, pp.126-127; NSW State Departmental Telephone Directory March 1971, pp.155-156; NSW State Departmental Telephone Directory, March 1973, pp.177-178; NSW State Departmental Telephone Directory December 1975, pp.186-185.
4. The Government of New South Wales Directory of Administration and Services: Guide to the functions and services provided by State organizations, 1st ed. October 1977, Sydney, Department of Services, 1977, p.227; ibid., 2nd ed. March 1979, p.279.
5. Ibid., 3rd ed. 1982, p.331.
6. New South Wales Government Phone Book, 28 February 1983, Sydney, NSW Government Information Service, 1983, p.157.
7. Premier's Department, Annual Report, 1983, p.10.
8. Government Gazette No.101, 15 June 1988, p.3167.
9. Government Gazette No.39, 5 April 1995, p.1861; ibid. No.46, 13 April 1995, p.2021.
10. NSW Government Directory, 1995.
11. Public Sector Employment and Management (Planning and Natural Resources) Order 2005 in NSW Government Gazette (No.108), 26 August 2005, p.6385.
12. NSW Government Gazette No. 30, 3 March 2006, p.1055.
13. NSW Government Gazette No.47, Special Supplement, 2 April 2007, p.2102.
14. ibid., pp.2105-6.


REFERENCES
(1) Concise Guide" 2nd Edition. "Po-Pu, "Premier's Department", p.1.