Elizabeth Cosson

Major General Elizabeth Cosson, AM, CSC (born 1958) served as Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs from 2018-2023.[19] Cosson "vowed" to resign as Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, on 19 July 2020, if she cannot improve the department’s relationship with veterans stating in a media interview on 19 July 2019 that "if I’m still part of the problem in 12 months I will hand over [the job]."[20]

Elizabeth Cosson
AM, CSC[1][2]
Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
In office
19 May 2018[3] – 23 January 2023[4]
Preceded bySimon Lewis
Succeeded byAlison Frame
Deputy Secretary (Chief Operating Officer) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
In office
9 May 2016[5][6][7] – 18 May 2018[8]
Preceded byShane Carmody[9]
Succeeded byMark Cormack[10]
Deputy Secretary (Chief Operating Officer) of the Department of Health
In office
1 July 2015 – 6 May 2016
Succeeded byAlison Larkins
Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health
In office
December 2014[11] – 30 June 2015
Preceded byAndrew Stuart
Deputy Secretary
(Business Services Group) of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection
In office
12 December 2012 – November 2014
Deputy Secretary
(Business Services Group) of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
In office
19 November 2012 – 11 December 2012
Preceded byJackie Wilson
First Assistant Secretary (Client and Commemorations) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
In office
March 2012 – November 2012
Succeeded byDavid Chalmers
General Manager (Executive Division) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
In office
2 November 2010 – March 2012
Preceded byGary Collins
Personal details
Born1958 (age 64–65)[12]
Melbourne, Victoria[13]
SpouseJames Baker
Parents
  • John George Cosson (father)
  • Joyce Emily Cosson (née Hawken)[14] (mother)
OccupationPublic official
Known forKovco leak scandal (2006)[15]
First female Major General in Australian Army (2007).
Salary$720,480+[16]
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceAustralian Army
Years of service1979–2010[17]
RankMajor General[18]
AwardsMember of the Order of Australia
Conspicuous Service Cross

Between 1979 and 2010, Cosson served 31 years in the Australian Army as an officer, commencing with officer training in the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps (WRAAC) on 22 February 1979 (when she was 20 years old) at Georges Heights (WRAAC OCS 28/79 – the first WRAAC Officer course to have a similar syllabus and training duration during as the male officer cadets had, and coming only a year after servicewomen first received the right to equal pay).[21] In 1983 she was transferred to the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps, as the WRAACs disbanded.

In 2017, Cosson became the first female major general in the Australian Army (but not the first female two star Australian Defence Force officer, as Air Vice Marshal Julie Hammer achieved this milestone in 2003).

While Cosson is most well known for her part in the Kovco scandal (due to the extensive media coverage it generated), it has not harmed her career in any lasting way, and not only did she go on to get promoted (despite the 12 month formal administrative warning she received), but she has since held a number of senior executive service appointments at the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (later re-named the Department of Immigration and Border Protection), and the Department of Health.

Early life

Elizabeth Cosson is a descendant of First World War veteran Second Lieutenant John George Cosson (her great-grandfather) and the child of Brigadier John George Cosson and Joyce Emily Cosson (nee Hawken).

Education

Cosson graduated from the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff in 1994 and the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies in 2005. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies, a Bachelor of Social Sciences and a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies.[22]

Military career

Cosson joined the Australian Army in 1979 as an officer cadet, and was commissioned in the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps. During the early part of her career she held a number of appointments as a supply and administrative officer.[22]

In 1991 she was appointed to a position at the Royal Australian Air Force Logistics Command where she was responsible for the logistics support to army aviation aircraft. For her work in improving the availability of the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter fleet and supporting the fleet deployment to Cambodia, she received a commendation from the Air Officer Commanding Logistics.[22]

In 1995 Cosson served in a number of appointments within Land Command, including a regimental appointment with the 11th Brigade and a logistics staff officer appointment at Headquarters Land Command. During this appointment her responsibilities included logistics planning in support of the 1999 operations in East Timor. In November 1999 she deployed as the Chief of Staff of the Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville.[22]

She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2001 Australia Day Honours "for outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff, Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville, and in logistic planning and management of the Combat Force as the Staff Officer Grade One Logistics, Land Headquarters".[23]

On her return from Bougainville she served with Defence Corporate Services before being seconded to the Joint Standing Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade in the House of Representatives. In 2002, Cosson commenced a three-year appointment in strategic logistics planning and was responsible for logistics policy and for developing concepts to improve logistics information systems.[22]

In December 2005 she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of brigadier in the Australian Army.

She served in the Corporate Services and Infrastructure Group of the Defence Department as the Director General Regions and Bases.[24] In this position she was responsible for the management of integrated service delivery to Defence bases across Australia.

In March 2007 she assumed the role of Head Defence Support Operations in an acting capacity. In November 2007, the role was confirmed and she became the first woman to be promoted to the rank of major general in the Australian Army. She is the second female to be promoted to two-star rank in the Australian Defence Force, the first being Air Vice Marshal Julie Hammer, who retired in 2005. Cosson, as head of National Operations within the Defence Support Group, became responsible for the management of 80 ADF bases and garrisons across the country.[25] At that time, although about 13% of the ADF were women, there were only four at the one-star level: Commodore Robyn Walker, Commodore Vicki McConachie, Brigadier Lyn McDade and Air Commodore Margaret Staib.[26]

In November 2010, Major General Cosson retired from the Australian Defence Force.[27]

In December 2010 it was announced that she had been appointed general manager of the Executive Division of the Department of Veterans Affairs.[28]

Cosson was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2011 Australia Day Honours List as a result of her "exceptional service" in the positions of Director General Regions and Bases, and as Head Defence Support Operations.[29]

Kovco affair

Cosson was appointed in April 2006 to investigate the circumstances surrounding the repatriation of the body of Jacob Kovco. On 15 May 2006, following a meeting with the Victorian Coroner, she left a CD-ROM containing a draft copy of her report which was marked ‘secret’ in a public computer in the Qantas Club lounge of Melbourne Airport. Due to this she became known as the ‘Bungling Brigadier’ [30] Parts of the report were subsequently broadcast by Derryn Hinch.[31] This incident was the subject of a Defence Department inquiry and Cosson elected to retire in 2010.[32]

Personal life

Cosson is married to Brigadier James Baker,[22] who is also currently serving in the Australian Army.[33]

References
  1. "Member of the Order of Australia (AM) entry for MAJGEN Cosson, Elizabeth (Army)". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2020. For exceptional service to the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Organisation as Director General Regions and Bases and as Head Defence Support Operations.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  2. "Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) entry for LTCOL Cosson, Elizabeth (Army)". It's an Honour, Australian Honours Database. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 26 January 2001. Retrieved 26 May 2020. For outstanding achievement as the Chief of Staff, Peace Monitoring Group, Bougainville, and in logistic planning and management of the Combat Force as the Staff Officer Grade One Logistics, Land Headquarters.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. "Repatriation Commission Annual Report 2017-18". Annual Reports 2017–18 (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-6482602-2-6. Cosson was appointed Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)... on 19 May 2018.
  4. "Appointment of new Secretary". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2023..
  5. "Introduction". Ex-Service Organisation (ESO) Mapping Project (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Aspen Foundation. 2016. p. 6. Membership of the Steering Committee... Major General Liz Cosson AM Cosson AM, CSC (Ret'd) — until 9 May 2016 when appointed to Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer DVA.
  6. "Overview". Annual Reports 2017–18 (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. 2016. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-9944775-4-5. [Simon Lewis] ...welcome back Liz Cosson who has assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer.
  7. Andrew Bowles (6 May 2016). "Community Affairs Legislation Committee Estimates" (PDF). Official Committee Hansard. Commonwealth of Australia: Senate. p. 100. Today will be the last appearance of Ms Liz Cosson for the department. She is moving to the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  8. "Repatriation Commission Annual Report 2017-18". Annual Reports 2017–18 (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-6482602-2-6. Cosson was appointed Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA)... on 19 May 2018.
  9. "Overview". Annual Reports 2015-16 (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. 2016. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-9944775-4-5. [Simon Lewis] I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Shane Carmody, former Chief Operating Officer, for his contribution over the past seven years, and welcome back Liz Cosson who has assumed the role of Chief Operating Officer.
  10. Refer:
    • Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Inc., ed. (August 2018). "New DVA Chief Operating Officer appointed" (PDF). Debrief. Minto, New South Wales: Vietnam Veterans Association of Australia Inc. p. 8. Retrieved 28 May 2020. Mark Cormack joined DVA as Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Secretary on 31 May 2018. Mr Cormack was most recently at the Department of Health, where he was Deputy Secretary, Health Financing. He'd worked previously as a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Chief Executive Officer of Health Workforce Australia and Chief Executive, ACT Health.
    • "Overview". Annual Reports 2017–18 (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. pp. 6, 9. ISBN 978-0-6482602-2-6. Chief Operating Officer's Report... Mark Cormack Deputy Secretary, Chief Operating Officer Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  11. Refer:
  12. "Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC". National Portrait Gallery. Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958).
  13. Smiles, Sarah (13 November 2007). "General Liz shoots through glass ceiling". The Age. Retrieved 26 May 2020. General Cosson, who was born in Melbourne.
  14. Refer:
    • "Joyce EMILY Cosson (nee Hawken)". Obituaries by heaven address. Retrieved 28 May 2020. Joyce EMILY Cosson (nee HAWKEN) Passed away on 16 June 2015 Aged 82 years Very much loved wife of John for 59 years. Loved mother and mother-in-law of Liz and James and John and Greta. Cherished grandma of Ben, Matthew, Emily, Laura and Sarah. Adored daughter of Herbert and Sarah (both dec) and sister of Ron and Les (both dec) and Jean.
  15. Refer:
    • For notoriety it gave Cosson "Elizabeth Cosson (1 January 2006 – 27 May 2020)". Google Trends. 27 May 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
    • For the incident Minister for Defence (22 May 2016). "Questions without notice: Private Jacob (Jake) Kovco" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Commonwealth of Australia: House of Representatives. p. 33. As the House would be well aware, the Chief of the Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, appointed Brigadier Elizabeth Cosson, who was supported by Professor Donald Sheldon, to prepare a report into the circumstances of the unacceptable and erroneous repatriation of Private Kovco's body to Australia. Late on Monday night last week, just after 10 o'clock, the Chief of the Defence Force phoned me to inform me that Brigadier Cosson had apparently lost the disk which contained the draft report into this unacceptable incident. I was advised that it had been thought to be lost either at the Qantas lounge in Melbourne or, alternatively, in a taxi.
  16. Refer:
  17. "Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC". National Portrait Gallery. Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958) enlisted in the Australian Army in 1979... [and] retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
  18. "Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC". National Portrait Gallery. Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Major General Elizabeth Cosson retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
  19. Refer:
    • For date of birth "Elizabeth COSSON". Women’s Museum of Australia and Old Gaol Alice Springs. Elizabeth Cosson Born:1958... Cosson retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
    • For current status as Secretary DVA "The Secretary". Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Commonwealth of Australia. 16 January 2020. Retrieved 26 May 2020. On 19 May 2018, Liz Cosson AM CSC was appointed as Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
    • For change of career to senior public servant "Repatriation Commission Annual Report 18-19". Annual Reports 18–19 (PDF). Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. 2019. p. 17. ISBN 978-0-6486611-1-5. In 2010, when Liz first joined the Australian Public Service.
  20. Burgess, Katie (19 July 2019). "Veterans' Affairs chief promises change within the next year". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 28 May 2020. The head of the Department of Veterans' Affairs has vowed to walk away from the job if she can't improve ex-defence personnel's experiences with the beleaguered agency within the next year. Liz Cosson has also promised to change the adversarial culture of the agency, which has been under fire for the bureaucratic and ruthless way it has dealt with veterans for many years... She hit out at negative media coverage... [saying] "if I'm still part of the problem in 12 months I will hand over [the job]."
  21. Refer:
    • Constantine, Genevieve, ed. (2011). "WRAAC 60th Anniversary Reunion, Sydney 11 – 13 February 2011". Camdus The Journal of Australian Defence Force Dentistry. Vol. 30. Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia: Adbourne Publishing. p. 54. ISSN 1834-0601. Retrieved 26 May 2020. The guest speaker was MAJGEN Liz Cosson, CSC (Ret'd) who had graduated as a WRAAC officer before being allocated to RAAOC.
    • "Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC". National Portrait Gallery. Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC (b.1958) enlisted in the Australian Army in 1979... Selected with 32 other women for the first male-equivalent officer training course, these officer-cadets were segregated from men... After 31 years of service in a range of appointments in Australia and overseas, Major General Cosson retired from full-time military service in November 2010.
    • Toohey, Paul (23 June 2013). "Meet the man behind Lieutenant General David Morrison". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 May 2020. When Cosson joined the army, she went to a women's – only military college (now all training is integrated) and says opportunities were limited. Women were stereotyped as capable of little more than administrative duties.
    • Smiles, Sarah (13 November 2007). "General Liz shoots through glass ceiling". The Age. Retrieved 26 May 2020. When Liz Cosson joined the army as a 20-year-old in 1979, female officers had just been allowed to take weapons training.
    • Hepworth, Merrie (2016). Ryan, Mike (ed.). "WRAAC 65th celebration of the formation of the Corps" (PDF). The Duntroon Society. No. 2. p. 10. Retrieved 26 May 2020. Official Guests were Major General Liz Cosson, AM, CSC (Retd) (WRAAC OCS 28/79), now Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.
  22. Brigadier Elizabeth Cosson, CSC, Biography, 27 April 2006. Media Release on Australian Department of Defence website.
    Major General Elizabeth Cosson, CSC Archived 16 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Biography, Defence Leaders, Media Release on Australian Department of Defence website. Both accessed 28 August 2009.
  23. Conspicuous Service Cross, Australian honours site.
  24. Brendan Nicholson and Misha Schubert Hand-picked officer devastated by bungle, The Age, 19 May 2006
  25. Mark Dodd, First female two-star general named, The Australian, 12 November 2007
  26. David McLennan, Historic Promotion Despite Kovco Bungle, The Canberra Times, 12 November 2007
  27. "Elizabeth Cosson AM CSC". National Portrait Gallery. Commonwealth of Australia. 2018. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
  28. New General Manager – Executive Division Archived 15 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine, Vetaffairs, Vol 26, No.4, December 2010, pg.2, Department of Veterans Affairs. Accessed 7 April 2011.
  29. 2011 Australia Day Honours List – Member (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia
  30. Patrick Walters, Bungle brigadier taking it very hard, The Australian, 19 May 2006
  31. Rachel Carbonell, Defence admits losing report, Lateline, 17 May 2006
  32. Patrick Walters, Nelson sets limits for Kovco team, The Australian, 19 May 2006
  33. Brigadier James Baker, Biography on Department of Defence website. Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine
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