Paul Barratt

Paul Hunter Barratt AO (19 March 1944 – 3 October 2021) was a senior Australian public servant, policymaker and peace activist. He was Chairman of Australia21, Chairman of UNE Foundation, and President and co-founder of Australians for War Powers Reform.

Paul Barratt
AO
Secretary of the Department of Defence
In office
February 1998 – 31 August 1999
Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries and Energy
In office
11 March 1996 – 5 February 1998
Personal details
Born
Paul Hunter Barratt

(1944-03-19)19 March 1944
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died3 October 2021(2021-10-03) (aged 77)
Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
Parent(s)Paul Eric Hunter Barratt[1]
Shirley Egan[2]
Alma materAustralian National University
University of New England
OccupationPublic servant

Background and early life

Paul Barratt was born in 1944 and two years later his family moved to Armidale, when his father was offered a position with the University of New England.[3] He attended the Armidale Demonstration School between 1949 and 1955[4] and sat his New South Wales Leaving Certificate at The Armidale School in 1960.[5] In 1961 he began his degree at the University of New England, living in Wright College and graduating with an honours degree in physics.[6][7]

Career

Barratt joined the Commonwealth Public Sector in the Department of Defence in 1966.[8] [9]

Between 1974 and 1985, Barratt was a Deputy Secretary in the Department of Trade and accompanied Prime Minister Bob Hawke on his February 1984 visit to China.[10][8]

Between 1992 and 1996 Barratt was Executive Director at the Business Council of Australia.[8] In 1996, Barratt rejoined the Australian Public Service as Secretary of the Department of Primary Industries and Energy,[11] offered the role by Prime Minister John Howard, on the recommendation of Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson. Barratt had accepted a $70,000 pay cut to return to the public sector.[12]

Barratt transferred from the Department of Primary Industries and Energy to a second Secretary role in 1998, this time at the Department of Defence.

Barratt was dismissed from his Secretary role at Defence in August 1999, with a letter saying he was being dismissed because his minister John Moore "had lost trust and confidence" in his abilities to perform his duties.[12] Barratt fought the dismissal, taking his case to the Federal Court. He was successful in establishing that a Department Secretary has a right to be heard before termination of his/her appointment, but in March 2000 the Federal Court rejected an appeal in relation to the nature of that hearing.[13]

Barratt was Deputy Chairman of the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures from 2010-2015. He was Chairman of Australia 21,[14] Chairman of UNE Foundation, and co-founder (along with Alison Broinowski) and President of Australians for War Powers Reform. From 2015 to 2021 Barratt was an Adjunct Professor of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at the University of New England.[15]

Death

In June 2021, Barratt stood down from his executive and academic roles due to illness.[16] On 3 October 2021, physician Alex Wodak announced that Barratt had died the night before. He was 77.[17][18]

Awards

In 1997 Barratt received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of New England.[19] In 1999 Barratt was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to public administration, public policy development, business and international trade.[14] In 2019 he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters Honoris Causa (HonDLitt) by the UNE Council.

References
  1. Barratt, Paul, New England University Rugby Team 1939, archived from the original on 10 April 2013
  2. Barratt, Paul (28 January 2014), "Vale Bill Prichett 1921–2014", Australian Observer, archived from the original on 6 February 2014
  3. Barratt, Paul (6 December 2009), "Ida Madge Brown (1904–2009)", Australian Observer, archived from the original on 6 May 2013
  4. Barratt, Paul (6 June 2011), "Armidale Demonstration School 150th anniversary", Australian Observer, archived from the original on 29 April 2013
  5. Barratt, Paul (19 September 2010), "The Class of 1960, fifty years on", Australian Observer, archived from the original on 25 April 2013
  6. Paul Barratt, Australian Broadcasting Commission, archived from the original on 5 June 2013
  7. Barratt, Paul (28 September 2013), "Russell Ward by Adhi Hendranto", Australia Observer, archived from the original on 22 January 2014
  8. Mr Paul Barratt, University of New England, archived from the original on 22 January 2014
  9. UNE profile: https://archive.today/lIJRS
  10. Barratt, Paul (29 March 2012), "Yellow Earth", Australian Observer, archived from the original on 30 April 2013
  11. Howard, John (8 March 1996). "STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER DESIGNATE THE HON JOHN HOWARD MP" (Press release). Archived from the original on 10 November 2013.
  12. Grattan, Michelle; Cole-Adams, Peter (21 August 1999). "Campaign to sack Barratt relaunched". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 8.
  13. Pullin, Len; Haidar, Ali (May 2004), DISMISSING A DEPARTMENTAL SECRETARY: AN OVERT EXERCISE OF POWER IN PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT (PDF), Monash University, p. 9, archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2013
  14. Speakers 2013, National Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Development, archived from the original on 8 August 2013
  15. "'A true gentleman': Tributes flow for top public servant Paul Barratt who died aged 77". ABC News. 4 October 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  16. "Paul Barratt steps down due to illness". Australians for War Powers Reform. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  17. @AlexWodak. "Paul Barratt AO died last night after being ill several months. Had co-founded then Chair @Australia21 . Glittering career in public service. Gentleman. Highly intelligent. Much loved. Thoroughly decent. Farewell Paul. RIP". Twitter. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  18. Christian, Kate (4 October 2021). "'A true gentleman': Tributes flow for top public servant Paul Barratt who died aged 77". ABC News. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  19. Mr Paul Barratt, University of New England, archived from the original on 1 February 2014, retrieved 22 January 2014
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