PM Transcripts

FOR PRESS 2 FEBRUARY 1.977
APPOINTMENT O? MR. K. C. 0. SHANN, CBE, AS CHAIRMAN OF THE
PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
The Prime Minister, Mr. Malcolm Fraser, announced tcday that the
Government had appointed Mr. K. C. 0. Shann, CBE, as Chairman or
the Public Service Board.
Mr. Shann is currently the Australian Ambassador in Tokyo and his
appointment as High Commissioner in London was announced in
October 1976.
Mr. Fraser said that Mr. Shann had had a long and distinguished
career in service to Australia. He had been Australia's Ambassadcr
in Japan since 1974 and prior to that held the position of Deputy
Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs. He had also been
Ambassador in Indonesia and the Philippines and had been a senior
member of the Australian delegations to numerous United Nations and
other international conferences.
Mr. Shann had held appointments in the Treasury and in the former
Department of Labor and National Service before joining the
Department of Foreign Affairs. He joined the Public Service
in 1939.
Mr. Fraser said that the British Government had been informed
in advance of the Government's intention to appoint Mr. Shann as
Chairman of the Public Service Board. The Prime Minister stressed
that the Government's decision was based entirely on Mr. Shann's
suitability for the position of Chairman of the Public Service
Board to which he would bring the expertise, judgement and capacity
for management which had so marked his public service career at
home and abroad.
The Prime Minister said that Mr. Shann's appointment in no way
reflected on the importance the Australian Government attached to
its relations with the United Kingdom. The change of plan with
respect to Mr. Shann's appointment as High Comnmissioner to the
United Kingdom had only arisen through the decision of Sir Alan
Cooley to accept appointment as Secretary to r. he Department of
Productivity and in no way implied any discourtesy to the British
Government. Mr. Shann's appointment will take effect from 28 March.
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