EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
STATUTORY RULES 1984 NO. 467
Issued by the Authority of the Prime Minister
Governor-General Act 1974
Governor-General Regulations
Sections 139, 140, 141 and 154 of the Public Service Reform Act 1984 (Act No. 63, assented to on 25 June 1984) amended the Governor-General Act 1974 (the Act) to insert new provisions relating to the appointment of an Official Secretary to the Governor-General.
Section 20 of the Act provides as follows:
“20. The Governor-General may make regulations, not inconsistent with this Act, prescribing matters -
(a) required or permitted by this Act to be prescribed; or
(b) necessary or convenient to be prescribed for carrying out or giving effect to this Act.”.
Section 8 of the Act provides as follows:
“8. (1) The Official Secretary shall be paid such remuneration as is determined by the Remuneration Tribunal, but, if no determination of that remuneration by the Remuneration Tribunal is in operation, the Official Secretary shall be paid such remunertion as is prescribed.
“(2) The Official Secretary shall be paid such allowances as are prescribed.
“(3) This section has effect subject to the Remuneration Tribunals Act 1973.”.
An Official Secretary to the Governor-General was appointed with effect from 24 December 1984, being the date on which the relevant sections of the Public Service Reform Act 1984 came into operation.
As the Remuneration Tribunal had not at that time made a determination of salary and allowances for the Official Secretary these regulations provide for salary and allowances.
The level of remuneration provided for is as for a Level 3 officer in the Senior Executive Service of the Australian Public Service and is the same as the remuneration of the occupant of the position of Official Secretary prior to the creation of the stautory office. The level accords with an indicative determination provided by the Remuneration Tribunal.