Bill Shorten (Maribyrnong, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Given that the Public Service Act requires that the Prime Minister advise the Governor-General of the reasons why he is seeking the dismissal of a departmental secretary, will the Prime Minister advise the House of the reasons that he gave the Governor-General for the dismissal of the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture?

Tony Abbott (Warringah, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me just quote from the statement that was issued last Friday. It said:

Dr Paul Grimes will step down as secretary of the Department of Agriculture. This follows a report under the Public Service Act 1999 from the secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, with which Dr Grimes agreed, that a relationship of strong mutual confidence between the secretary and myself—

that is, the Minister for Agriculture—

was not a realistic prospect.

There is no question of wrongdoing by anyone here, simply the absence of the relationship necessary between a minister and a departmental secretary.