by Ganesh Sahathevan
DFAT's Kathryn Campbell, formerly of the Department Of Human Services, has access to highly confidential AUKUS nuclear submarine information in her new role.
When she led Dfat, Campbell had a total annual remuneration package of $889,853. That included a base salary of $767,529 and superannuation of $102,635, according to the department’s 2021-22 annual report.
A defence spokesperson said Campbell had been appointed to the new Aukus advisory role on 1 July with duties that include “conducting high-level and sensitive negotiations with international partners”.
Campbell was also “working to advance information sharing with Aukus partners to drive advanced capabilities” such as artificial intelligence, the spokesperson said.
She would have “a key advocacy role in facilitating Aukus partners’ ability to share relevant technological expertise” and work “in close collaboration with teams across the department”.“While Ms Campbell currently has no direct reports, as Senior Adviser Aukus she works closely with teams across the department to support the chief of the nuclear-powered submarine taskforce, the secretary and the chief of the defence force,” the spokesperson said.
“Ms Campbell receives administrative support from staff within the nuclear-powered submarine taskforce.”
This access continues while questions about her appointment of Chinese IT consultants while head of the Department Of Human Services remain unanswered.
TO BE READ WITH
Australia's Commonwealth Department Of Human Services chief Kathryn Campbell has early this month taken a 3 month leave of absence. Campbell is in charge of one of the largest departments in the Australian civil service, her role requiring that she have not one but three physical offices to carry out her duties. Her absence raises questions about whether her poor management, which has had security implications ,has finally led to her jumping, if not pushed.
Her responsibilities include management of the massive Human Services IT system which is used to manage dole , Medicare and other social welfare payments The system is interfaced with that of at least Immigration ,the Tax Office and probably other government departments.
Ms Campbell has frequently complained that system hardware and software needs updating, even if the issues that plagued the system were often matters of simple programming and management.
Nevertheless, she was given more than a billion Australian dollars to update the system.
Part of her efforts to update the system included the hiring of foreign consultants ,and these included consultants from China.
Chinese consultants were hired without any apparent concern for security despite the fact that the
Human Services IT system is probably the most well linked and data rich system in the country.
Campbell was queried about her hiring of Chinese consultants but did not provide an answer with regards the obvious security issues. Campbell was also asked if the ban on Huawei was considered in her decision to hire Chinese consultants, She chose not to answer.
Campbell's has attempted to make her mark at the DHS as an innovator ,and led the department's IT initiatives, It was however always a case of ambition exceeding ability. Unlike many civil service chiefs, Campbell lacked university qualifications and obtained her basic degree from what was then the Toowoomba CAE. Meanwhile the country bears the burden for yet another case of civil service incompetence.
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