About the Department

The principal matters that the Department deals with are: coordination of government administration; assistance to Cabinet and its committees; policy advice and administrative support to the Prime Minister; intergovernmental relations and communications with State and Territory governments and government ceremonial and hospitality.

It is the role of the Department:

  • To ensure that policy proposals put to the Prime Minister, other ministers in the portfolio, and to Cabinet are developed in a coherent, informed and coordinated fashion.
  • Where directed, to coordinate the administrative response to Government policies and decisions, recognising that ministers are responsible individually for the administration of their departments and collectively for matters decided by Cabinet.
  • To provide services to the Prime Minister and to the Government to enable the business of government to be managed in an efficient, effective and coordinated manner.
  • To monitor the implementation of the Government's objectives where charged with doing so in particular areas such as science and technology policy and access and equity.

The Department provides advice and information to the Prime Minister on major policy matters of domestic and international concern. There is a particular responsibility to advise on the implications of proposals for Commonwealth-State relations and to facilitate those relations.

The Department takes a particular responsibility for policy coordination. In this area it seeks to ensure that the Prime Minister has the best possible advice drawing from, and consulting with, appropriate sources across the whole of the government system.

The Department is the primary source of advice on government and parliamentary policy matters covering such issues as Cabinet processes, accountability and the management of the public service. The Department also provides a range of support services to the Government.

These services include developing and coordinating the Government's legislative program, assisting the Leader of the House and the Manager of Government Business in the Senate to program government business in Parliament, providing a secretariat to the Executive Council, and arranging and coordinating government hospitality and official ceremonial occasions.

The Department provides support services to the Prime Minister and his family. It also advises on the maintenance and restoration of official residences.

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Last Updated: 30 June 2008