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51-689: The rank of assistant secretary denotes a high level government official who is positioned in the Government of Australia . The position falls under the Australian Public Service Act 1999, and holds the level of Senior Executive Service (SES) Level Band 1. The position also holds several other titles such as: branch head, national manager, group manager, and executive director. For those officials who hold diplomatic status and are positioned in Australian high commissions, embassies or state offices at

102-485: A cabinet reshuffle . Cabinet meetings are strictly private and occur once a week where vital issues are discussed and policy formulated. The cabinet is not a legal entity; it exists solely by convention. Its decisions do not in and of themselves have legal force. However, it serves as the practical expression of the Federal Executive Council , which is Australia's highest formal governmental body. In practice,

153-551: A middle to senior official facilitating the work of the top officials, and is the subject officer for a specific policy domain among bureaux and departments. The position of assistant secretary belongs to the administrative officer grade in the Hong Kong Civil Service originated from the Colonial Administrative Service since 1862, being a cadet of multi-disciplined professional city administrators. As

204-486: A specific Cabinet secretary. Assistant secretaries often manage major programs administered by a Cabinet department. Assistant secretaries are generally the lowest level "secretarial" positions appointed directly by the president. Assistant secretaries are generally Level IV positions within the Executive Schedule , ranking below the position of under secretary . Since January 2022, the annual rate of pay for Level IV

255-518: Is $ 176,300. Government of Australia [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Australian Government , also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the Federal government , is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy . The executive consists of the prime minister and other cabinet ministers that currently have

306-545: Is a position in the Irish Civil Service , which uses a nearly identical grading scheme to its British counterpart. It may now be alternatively styled, depending on the department or office. An assistant secretary (in Dutch : "staatssecretaris") assists a specific minister. She or he is responsible for a specific domain (i.e., one or more important issues that require special attention—the assistant secretary can thus alleviate

357-514: Is a role which exists by constitutional convention, rather than by law. They are appointed to the role by the governor-general (the representative of the monarch of Australia ). The governor-general normally appoints the parliamentary leader who commands the confidence of a majority of the members of the House of Representatives. Also by convention, the prime minister is a member of the lower house. The prime minister and their sworn ministers form

408-509: Is executive or legislative is determined on a case-by-case basis, and involves the weighing up of various factors, rather than the application of a strict test. As most executive power is granted by statute, the executive power of the government is similarly limited to those areas in which the Commonwealth is granted the power to legislate under the constitution (primarily under section 51 ). They also retain certain powers traditionally part of

459-482: Is that while legislative power involves setting down rules of general application, executive power involves applying those rules to specific situations. In practice, however, this definition is difficult to apply as many actions by executive agencies are wide-ranging, binding and conducted independently of Parliament. The executive can also be delegated legislative power through provisions allowing for statutory instruments and Henry VIII clauses . Ultimately whether power

510-412: Is the body that formally advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power. Decisions of the body give legal effect to decisions already deliberated at cabinet. All current and formers ministers are members of the council, although only current ministers are summoned to meetings. The governor-general usually presides at council meetings, but in his or her absence another minister nominated as

561-584: The British Raj . Currently, the temporary position of assistant secretary is occupied by the officers of the Indian Administrative Service during their training period in Ministries of Central Government , as Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has temporarily excluded section officers from Central Secretariat Service , which is later reverted. The grade of assistant secretary

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612-565: The Constitution of Australia is the "Government of the Commonwealth". This was the name used in many early federal government publications. However, in 1965 Robert Menzies indicated his preference for the name "Australian Government" in order to prevent confusion with the new Commonwealth of Nations . The Whitlam government legislated the use of "Government of Australia" in 1973 in line with its policy of promoting national goals and aspirations. However, academic Anne Twomey argues that

663-547: The Senior Executive Service . Many political appointees have had their pay rate frozen at lower levels. According to 5 U.S.C.   § 5318 , at the beginning of the first pay period for any position under the Executive Schedule, the amount of pay will be adjusted and rounded to the nearest multiple of US$ 100. If this amount is found to be midway between multiples of $ 100, then it will be rounded to

714-411: The cabinet , the key decision-making organ of the government that makes policy and decides the agenda of the government. Members of the government can exercise both legislative power (through their control of the parliament) and executive power (as ministers on behalf of the governor-general and the monarch). However, in accordance with responsible government , and to ensure accountability, actions of

765-771: The front bench . This practice has been continued by all governments except the Whitlam government . The prime minister's power to select the ministry differs depending on their party. When the Liberal Party and its predecessors (the Nationalist Party and the United Australia Party ) have been in coalition with the National Party or its predecessor the Country Party , the leader of the junior Coalition party has had

816-462: The royal prerogative , such as the power to declare war and enter into treaties. Finally, there exists certain "nationhood powers", implied from section 61 of the Constitution . These were defined by High Court Justice Anthony Mason , as powers "peculiarly adapted to the government of a nation and which cannot otherwise be carried on for the benefit of the nation". They have been found to include

867-609: The vice-president of the Executive Council presides at the meeting of the council. Since 1 June 2022, the vice-president has been senator Katy Gallagher . As of 17 August 2024 , there are 16 departments of the Australian Government. Additionally, there are four departments which support the Parliament of Australia : The following corporations are prescribed by Acts of Parliament: As of March 2024 ,

918-536: The 125 positions that receive pay at Level III of the Executive Schedule. As of January 2024, the annual rate of pay for Level III positions is $ 204,000. Department of Health and Human Services Department of Homeland Security Department of Justice Department of Transportation Department of the Treasury Note: The Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision was level III before that office

969-582: The 80 years between 1862, when the recruitment scheme was started, and the Japanese invasion of 1941, the majority of the cadets were educated at Oxford and Cambridge, although a substantial contingent (about 30 per cent) came from universities in Ireland and Scotland. From 1919 to 1945, the permanent posts of assistant secretary were filled by officers drawn from the Imperial Secretariat Service during

1020-519: The Executive Schedule As of January 2024, the annual rate of pay for Level V positions is $ 180,000. Per 5 U.S.C.   § 5317 , the president can at any time appoint no more than 34 individuals to pay rates Level IV and V, provided that they are viewed as a necessary change to organization, management responsibility, or workload within a specific agency. This figure is in addition to Level IV and V positions specifically authorized in

1071-432: The Executive Schedule, denoted with a Roman numeral with I being the highest level and V the lowest. Federal law lists the positions eligible for the Executive Schedule and the corresponding level. The law also gives the president the ability to grant Executive Schedule IV and V status to no more than 34 employees not listed. Certain job titles tend to be placed at certain levels of the Executive Schedule. For example, in

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1122-507: The Executive Schedule. As of January 2024, the annual rate of pay for Level I positions is $ 246,400. 21 positions exist in this level, which are as follows: 5 U.S.C.   § 5313 lists the positions that receive pay at Level II of the Executive Schedule. As of January 2024, the annual rate of pay for Level II positions is $ 221,900. Defense Homeland Security Transportation Intelligence Community Other independent agencies 5 U.S.C.   § 5314 lists

1173-653: The Federal Executive Council meets solely to endorse and give legal force to decisions already made by the cabinet. All members of the cabinet are members of the Executive Council. A senior member of the cabinet holds the office of vice-president of the Executive Council and acts as presiding officer of the Executive Council in the absence of the governor-general. The cabinet meets not only in Canberra but also in state capitals, most frequently Sydney and Melbourne. Kevin Rudd

1224-529: The General Schedule may not earn more than the rate for Level IV of the Executive Schedule, after factoring in GS special rates and locality pay. Because of these pay caps and freezes to the Executive Schedule, federal workers at the top of their pay bands are often unable to receive pay increases, resulting in salary compression. 5 U.S.C.   § 5312 lists the positions that receive pay at Level I of

1275-643: The United States appoints individuals to these positions, most with the advice and consent of the United States Senate . They include members of the president's Cabinet , several top-ranking officials of each executive department, the directors of some of the more prominent departmental and independent agencies, and several members of the Executive Office of the President . There are five pay rates within

1326-401: The assistant secretary level hold the following titles: regional director, minister-counsellor, and ambassador . However, although most offshore Australian diplomatic staff at these levels are SES Band 1, some are SES Band 2. The median annual reward wage for a baseline assistant secretary level is $ 219,464 (AUD), excluding bonuses, superannuation or fringe benefits. An assistant secretary is

1377-461: The bill. However, Senate consent is required and the pay rate takes effect only upon a new appointment to that position. All actions taken during this process are to be published in the Federal Register , except when it is deemed that such publication would stand in conflict to national security . The president may not take action under this section with respect to a position, the pay for which

1428-650: The caucus regained this power in 2013. According to reporting by the Sydney Morning Herald , ministerial positions are allocated by the Left and Right factions proportionally according to their representation in the Parliament. The King is not involved with the day-to-day operations of the government, belonging (according to the Bagehot formulation) to the "dignified" rather than the "efficient" part of government. While

1479-581: The confidence of the lower house, are uncontroversial, others are subject to much greater debate. The most notable example of their use occurring in the Dismissal of 1975. In that case, the Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the prime minister and government due to his conclusion that the government had failed to secure supply. The propriety of the use of the powers during that event remain highly contested. The Federal Executive Council

1530-749: The executive departments, secretaries are on Level I; deputy secretaries are on Level II; under secretaries are mostly on Level III; and assistant secretaries , general counsels , inspectors general , chief financial officers , and chief information officers are mostly on Level IV. The directors of departmental and independent agencies vary widely in their placement, and are represented in every level from I to V, with their subordinates being placed on levels below them. A few agencies have general counsels, inspectors general, chief financial officers, or chief information officers on Level IV along with their departmental counterparts, although agency officials with these titles may instead be on another pay scale such as

1581-464: The executive power of the Commonwealth is formally vested in the monarch, the Constitution requires those powers to be exercisable by a governor-general, appointed by the monarch as their representative (but since the appointing of Sir Isaac Isaacs in 1931, always appointed according to the advice of federal ministers, rather than British ministers). Members of the government do not exercise executive power of their own accord but are instead appointed by

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1632-406: The following Corporate Commonwealth entities are prescribed as Government Business Enterprises (GBEs): The following Commonwealth companies are prescribed as GBEs: Executive Schedule Executive Schedule ( 5 U.S.C.   §§ 5311 – 5318 ) is the system of salaries given to the highest-ranked appointed officials in the executive branch of the U.S. government. The president of

1683-537: The government in its executive capacity are subject to scrutiny from parliament. The Australian Government is headquartered in the executive wing of Parliament House , located in the nation's capital, Canberra , in the Australian Capital Territory . The head offices of all the federal departments are located in Canberra, along with Parliament House and the High Court . The name of the government in

1734-487: The government was also motivated by a desire to blur the differences between the Commonwealth and the states in an attempt to increase federal power. The Parliament of Australia website also notes that the name "Australian Government" is preferable in order to avoid confusion with the Commonwealth of Nations and the US federal government by those not familiar with Australia's system of government. This terminology remains preferred by

1785-467: The government. However, the terms Commonwealth Government and federal government are also common. In some contexts, the term "government" refers to all public agencies that exercise the power of the State , whether legislative, executive or judicial. The government's primary role, in its executive capacity, is to implement the laws passed by the parliament. However, laws are frequently drafted according to

1836-495: The governor-general as ministers, formally as the "Queen's [or King's] Ministers of State". As such, while government ministers make most major decisions in cabinet, if those decisions require the formal endorsement of the governor-general in council, those decisions do not have legal force until approved by the Federal Executive Council , which is presided over by the governor-general. Similarly, laws passed by both houses of parliament require royal assent before being enacted, as

1887-486: The grading scheme they are denoted Grade 5 (with basic salary starting at £65,422 as of August 2014). In the United States, the rank of assistant secretary denotes a high level civilian official within the United States federal government . An official of sub-Cabinet rank , assistant secretaries are appointed by the president of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate and are assigned to assist

1938-420: The interests of the executive branch as the government often also controls the legislative branch. Unlike the other two branches of government, however, membership of the executive is not clearly defined. One definition describes the executive as a pyramid, consisting of three layers. At the top stands the king, as the symbolic apex and formal repository of executive power. Below him lies a second layer made up of

1989-570: The minister's burden) and may be held accountable for his political actions, which means that he must resign once he has lost the support of the parliament. Not every department has an assistant secretary; whether one is installed depends on the importance of the department. In the United Kingdom , the position of assistant secretary is a grade in the British Civil Service , now more commonly styled divisional manager or deputy director. In

2040-481: The monarch is a constituent part of the Parliament. However, in all these cases, except for certain reserve powers, the King and the governor-general must follow the advice of the prime minister or other ministers in the exercise of his powers. Powers subject to the governor-general’s discretion are known as reserve powers. While certain reserve powers, such as the ability to choose the prime minister most likely to command

2091-781: The next highest multiple of $ 100. Section 738 of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115-141, March 23, 2018), continued the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels through January 5, 2019. The failure to enact new appropriations legislation may allow the freeze to expire. However, the officially established and posted pay rates (or pay ranges) for 2018 are in effect and used for determining pay for other employees. For more information, please see Compensation Policy Memorandum 2018-08 at https://chcoc.gov/content/continued-pay-freeze-certain-senior-political-officials-2 . Executive Schedule rates indirectly affect

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2142-444: The outer ministry. Additionally, there are also assistant ministers (formally parliamentary secretaries ), responsible for a specific policy area, reporting directly to a cabinet minister. The cabinet consists of the prime minister and senior ministers and makes most of the important policy decisions of the government. Members of the cabinet are selected by the prime minister and may be added or removed at any time, usually through

2193-404: The power to provide financial stimulus payments to households during a financial crisis and the power to prevent "unlawful non-citizens" from entering the country . Ministers drawn from the Australian parliament form the core of the Australian Government. A subset of these ministers form the cabinet, the de facto highest executive body of the government. Ministers not part of cabinet belong to

2244-410: The prime minister would retain the right to allocate portfolios. This practice was followed until 2007. Between 1907 and 2007, Labor prime ministers exercised a predominant influence over who was elected to Labor ministries, although the leaders of the party factions also exercised considerable influence. However, in 2007 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd , assumed the power to choose the ministry alone. Later,

2295-495: The prime minister, cabinet and other ministers who in practice lead the executive. Finally, the bottom layer includes public servants , police, government departments and independent statutory bodies who directly implement policy and laws. Executive power is also difficult to clearly define. In the British context, it was defined by John Locke as all government power not legislative or judicial in nature. The key distinction

2346-474: The rates of pay for other pay scales such as the General Schedule , Senior Executive Service , Senior Level , Senior Foreign Service , and other federal civilian pay systems, as well as the pay of uniformed military personnel, because various federal laws establishing those pay systems normally tie the maximum amount payable to various levels of the Executive Schedule. For example, federal employees paid on

2397-581: The right to nominate their party's members of the Coalition ministry, and to be consulted by the prime minister on the allocation of their portfolios. When Labor first held office under Chris Watson , Watson assumed the right to choose members of his cabinet. In 1907, however, the party decided that future Labor cabinets would be elected by the members of the Parliamentary Labor Party, the Caucus , and

2448-532: The support of a majority of the members of the House of Representatives (the lower house) and also includes the departments and other executive bodies that ministers oversee. The current executive government consists of Anthony Albanese and other ministers of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), in office since the 2022 federal election . The prime minister is the head of the federal government and

2499-566: The top-calibre generalists in the government, they are the central policy-making and coordinating body in the Hong Kong Civil Service . The annual rate of pay for a baseline assistant secretary is pitched at Point 27 of the Master Pay Scale ($ 78,310 (USD) or $ 610,800 (HKD)) and will go up to Point 49 of the Master Pay Scale ($ 191,200 (USD) or $ 1,491,360 (HKD)). "Rank and Post (Rev Nov 2015)" (PDF) . Retrieved 2018-03-20 . The grade has an established tradition of academic aristocracy. Over

2550-1003: Was abolished by the Dodd-Frank Act of 2010. Directors Deputy directors 5 U.S.C.   § 5315 lists 346 non-obsolete positions that receive pay at Level IV of the Executive Schedule. As of January 2024, the annual rate of pay for Level IV positions is $ 191,900. Annual pay for General Schedule employees, including locality pay and special rates, may not exceed this level. Department of Agriculture Department of Commerce Department of Defense Department of Education Department of Energy Department of Health and Human Services Department of Homeland Security Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Justice Department of Labor Department of State Department of Transportation United States Agency for International Development Other independent agencies 5 U.S.C.   § 5316 lists 143 positions that receive pay at Level V of

2601-547: Was in favour of the cabinet meeting in other places, such as major regional cities. There are Commonwealth Parliament Offices in each state capital, with those in Sydney located in 1 Bligh Street . Until 1956 all members of the ministry were members of the cabinet. The growth of the ministry in the 1940s and 1950s made this increasingly impractical, and in 1956 Robert Menzies created a two-tier ministry, with only senior ministers holding cabinet rank, also known within parliament as

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