SYDNEY, Australia — Australian Church member Gary Sturgess recently was awarded one of his country's highest honors — that of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to public administration and as an adviser to government in the development of public policy.
Brother Sturgess is acknowledged as one of Australia's leading public policy analysts. He was previously Cabinet Secretary and Director-General of the Cabinet Office in the New South Wales State government and, during that time, the principal policy adviser to the New South Wales premier. He was a leading figure in Australia's national competition policy reform agenda of the early 1990s, at state and then at a national level.
He has initiated ground-breaking reforms for government business enterprises, has advised the New Zealand government on integrity issues, and has made recommendations for the management of the Great Barrier Reef and federal-state cooperation.
But Brother Sturgess is perhaps best known in Sydney as the architect of the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption.
After leaving government, he managed a policy consultancy and served on a number of public and private sector boards.
Brother Sturgess and his family recently moved to the United Kingdom where he now works as a senior executive. A lawyer by training, he has written and lectured extensively on the changing nature of public administration.
The Order of Australia was created in 1975 and recognizes outstanding Australians for their service to Australia or to humanity. Nominations are assessed by the council for the Order of Australia for recommendation to the governor-general for approval, and are typically awarded on Australia Day, Jan. 26, the biggest day of celebration in the country.
