I will be recommending to the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC, the appointment of Mr Martin Bowles PSM as Secretary of the Department of Health for a period of five years from 13 October 2014 and the appointment of Mr Chris Moraitis PSM as Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department for a period of five years from 15 September 2014.
Mr Bowles has been performing the role of Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection since 2012 after joining the department in 2011.
He was previously Deputy Secretary of the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency and also in the Department of Defence.
Prior to joining the Commonwealth Mr Bowles held senior executive positions in the education and health portfolios in the New South Wales public sector.
Mr Moraitis has been a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since April 2013. He joined the Department in 1989.
He has served as the High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and has worked in Australian diplomatic missions in Paris, Madrid and Geneva.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws and a Masters of International Law and was admitted to practice in Victoria as a barrister and solicitor.
I congratulate Mr Bowles and Mr Moraitis and look forward to working with them in their new roles.
I will announce arrangements for the position of the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in the near future.
3 September 2014