Canberra, [17 April 1968]1
On the 3rd April the Secretary wrote sending some draft papers concerning the functioning of the Ministerial Member system.2 These do not, however, mention the role of Assistant Administrators. It seems necessary to consider this separately in connection with the House of Assembly and Departments.
2. In the House of Assembly it seems plain that a Ministerial Member will represent his Department fully and only he will represent that Department. It would appear that the Assistant Administrators can no longer have any oversight of other Official Members or Administration representatives in the House of Assembly (although they may be able to present a broad view over a wide spectrum of Administration activities), and it does not seem practicable for them exclusively to represent particular Departments.
3. In your letter of the 23rd November, you suggested that the number of Official Members with quasi ministerial functions should be reduced to five.3 In making this proposal you did not, however, say how you envisaged the Departments not represented by Ministerial Members being represented in the House of Assembly. Assistant Ministerial Members will play a role in the House of Assembly in respect of Departments outside the reserved areas but it seems that Departments represented by Ministerial Members should have no other representation in the House, though their Member may be assisted by Assistant Ministerial Members. Other Departments would be represented by Official Members so designated, who also may be helped by Assistant Ministerial Members. Could you let me have your views on this matter?
4. With regard to the functions of Assistant Administrators in connection with Departments the position of the Ministerial Member in relation to his Departmental Head and the Administrator would seem to exclude an Assistant Administrator retaining any function of oversighting Departments as such. It seems that Assistant Administrators should act as assistants to the Administrator with no administrative functions in their own right. Although as ‘assistants to’ the Administrator they would of course discharge on the Administrator’s behalf whatever responsibilities the Administrator assigned to them. The Administration would as a matter of practice avoid putting them, in their own right, in a position of authority over Ministerial Members.
[NAA: A452, 1968/4245]
1 A handwritten date reads’ 17?/4/68’.
2 Document 168.
3 See Document 149.