Instruments of appointment of ministers of state: 6 November 2026
Ayres, Timothy
APPOINTMENT OF MINISTER OF STATE
I, Sam Mostyn, Governor‑General of the Commonwealth of Australia, appoint Timothy Ayres, a member of the Federal Executive Council, to administer, under section 64 of the Constitution, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Ministerial offices, departments of state and guide to responsibilities: 6 November 2026
6 November 2026
Names of Cabinet ministers are shown in bold. Names of Assistant Ministers are shown in italics.
The column 'Guide to responsibilities' identifies, as a matter of practice, the division of ministerial responsibility within a portfolio. This guide does not have legal force. As a matter of law, any minister or assistant minister appointed to administer a particular department has the constitutional authority to administer any part of that department, and any legislation administered by that department.
A decade of impact: Putting people at the heart of policy
Our impact report, 10 Years of BETA: Putting people at the heart of policy, brings together our insights over the past decade, the evolution and future of applied behavioural public policy, and case studies with tangible impact and lessons learned to ensure good policy starts with understanding people.
10 years of BETA: Putting people at the heart of policy
For 10 years BETA has helped put Australian people at the heart of policy design and implementation. Working in partnership with Australian Public Service agencies, BETA has helped to better understand the experience of Australians, design and test evidence-informed solutions, and evaluate how interventions are working in the real world.
This report examines the last decade of BETA’s impact and the role for behavioural science and evidence in improving the lives of Australians.
Annual Child Safety Statement of Compliance 2026
Our commitment to child safety
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children. We remain compliant with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework and have zero tolerance for child harm or abuse.
We are committed to continuous improvement in safeguarding children, and to regularly reviewing our policies, procedures and practices to strengthen child safety and wellbeing across all areas of our work.
Secretaries Board communique: 21 October 2026
The Secretaries Board met today at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to discuss the following matters.
Auditor-General update
The Board received an update from Dr Caralee McLiesh PSM, Auditor-General, on the work of the Australian National Audit Office.
High Risk Weather Season
The Board received an update from Pat Hetherington, Interim Coordinator-General, National Emergency Management Agency on preparations for the Higher Risk Weather Season.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Annual Report 2025-26
It has been prepared in accordance with the provisions of section 46 of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act), the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule) and the Department of Finance Resource Management Guide No 135. The compliance index in Part 5 lists the information required by the PGPA Act and PGPA Rule and the corresponding page number within this report.
Report on legal services expenditure 2025-26
This is a statement of legal services expenditure by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for the 2025-26 financial year, published in accordance with paragraph 109(1)(d) of the Legal Services Directions 2025. All figures are GST exclusive.
Total legal services expenditure was $2,280,671. This comprised: