Changing of the guard

Volume 48, No. 23, December 14, 2006

LOOKING AHEAD: Incoming Defence Secretary Mr Nick Warner, left, with LTCOL Quentin Flowers in the Solomon Islands in 2003. Photo by CAPT Anthony Kirk

HALL OF FAME: Mr Ric Smith hangs his official portrait with those of past Defence Secretaries at his farewell. Photo by WO Steve Dent

By Barry Rollings

NEW Secretary of Defence Mr Nick Warner has flagged fresh initiatives to strengthen support for those parliamentarians who minister to ADF matters.

Mr Warner is a former senior DFAT bureaucrat and served as the Special Coordinator to the Solomon Islands, supervising the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands from 2003 to 2004.

“Working effectively with Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson and his colleagues, the Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence Mr Bruce Billson, and the Parliamentary Secretary Senator Sandy Macdonald, is a fundamental role of Defence,” Mr Warner said.

“It is vitally important that we provide them with the best possible, most timely and most accurate advice and support.

“The CDF and I will soon announce a number of initiatives to strengthen that support.”

At this early stage in his tenure, Mr Warner said he did not propose to be too prescriptive about his key priorities and plans as Secretary.

“Naturally, these are matters I need to discuss with our Ministers, the CDF and our senior leadership,” he said.

“Support for operations remains a clear priority. We must continue to bed down the range of financial and budget reforms now underway. There will be a substantial continuing focus on recruiting and retention initiatives and on expanding the size of our land force.

“There is also likely to be a substantial emerging agenda in areas such as information technology and departmental records management.

Mr Warner also recorded his appreciation for the contribution made by the outgoing Secretary, Mr Ric Smith.

“Like all of you, I wish him well in his retirement after a most distinguished career,” Mr Warner said.

Mr Smith was farewelled on December 1.

Outgoing Secretary Mr Smith received high praise from Prime Minister John Howard on his retirement, which marked the end of a 38-year career serving successive Australian Governments and, more recently, jointly leading Defence through a demanding period.

“Mr Smith has made an outstanding contribution to policy development, particularly in the areas of foreign affairs and defence,” Mr Howard said.

CDF ACM Houston said Mr Smith had been a tower of strength in Defence over his four years as Secretary.

“He’s provided very inspirational leadership, he’s worked incredibly hard and he has turned around a number of areas where we were a little bit lacking. Ric deserves our best wishes after a job incredibly well done,” ACM Houston said.

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