The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), also known as the Office of the Prime Minister, is the personal office of the Prime Minister of Australia that provides political advice and executive support to the Prime Minister. The PMO is led by the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff and or Principal Private Secretary and is composed of ministerial advisers assisting with party politics, media relations, and political strategy. Scholars including Professor Anne Tiernan of Griffith University and Professor James Walter of Monash University have observed the centralisation and expansion of power within the PMO over the past three decades.
The PMO should not be confused with the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, which is a public service entity that provides non-political policy coordination and executive support for the Prime Minister and Cabinet's agenda or with the Prime Minister's official residences at The Lodge and Kirribilli House.
History.
The origins of the contemporary Prime Minister's Office can be found with Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser who cemented the central authority of the Prime Minister through an adviser structure. Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating also continued to expand the role and size of the Prime Minister's Office through the coordination of the development and implementation of the government's agenda. Prime Minister John Howard further expanded and centralised power within the PMO.
Roles and activities.
The role of the Prime Minister's Office has changed over time but has consistently been a source of political advice for the Prime Minister of the day.
Structure and staff.
The organisational structure and staffing arrangements of the Prime Minister's Office changed with the personal preferences, political interests, and strategic priorities of the Prime Minister of the day. Nevertheless, there has been the trend of the increasing size of the PMO since the Hawke and Keating Governments. Traditionally, the two key positions within the PMO have been the Chief of Staff and the Principal Private Secretary. The PMO also seconds Departmental Liaison Officers from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to enable engagement for the flow of advice, correspondence, submissions and other communications to and from the PMO and PM&amp;C.
Chiefs of Staff.
The position of Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Australia was formally created by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1972 to run the political and private office of the Prime Minister.
Principal Private Secretary.
Prior to the formalisation of the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff in 1972, the Prime Minister's Office was traditionally headed by a career public servant known as the Principal Private Secretary. The position of Principal Private Secretary functioned as a Chief of Staff and has been responsible for the management of relationships and stakeholders at the direction of the Prime Minister.
In popular culture.
The Prime Minister's Office was satirised in the television comedy series The Hollowmen, which centred on the fictitious Central Policy Unit inspired by the Cabinet Policy Unit established by Prime Minister John Howard.
References.
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