I am pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Roger Wilkins AO as the new Secretary of the Attorney General's Department.
The current Secretary, Mr Robert Cornall AO, recently informed me that he wished to leave his position as Secretary on 31 August. .Mr Cornall has held that position since 24 January 2000 and has led the Department during demanding times, not least in the area of national security. I express my gratitude to him for his dedicated service. I have asked Mr Cornall to be available to undertake ad hoc tasks for the Commonwealth in the future, and he has agreed.
Mr Wilkins will bring great experience to the role of Secretary. Mr Wilkins was Director-General of the New South Wales Cabinet Office from 1992 until 2006 and currently heads the Government and Public Sector Group, Australia and New Zealand, at Citi. He has recently completed a Strategic Review of Climate Change Programs for the Government.
Mr Wilkins holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with First Class Honours in Philosophy and a Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Sydney. He has extensive experience in policy development and governance, and has published on a diverse range of public policy and legal issues. I am confident that Mr Wilkins will provide strong leadership to the Attorney-General's Department.
Mr Wilkins has been appointed for a period of five years from 1 September 2008.