Employees 2,055 (at April 2013) | ||
Formed 5 October 1976 (1976-10-05) Preceding Department Department of Repatriation Jurisdiction Commonwealth Government Minister responsible Dan Tehan,
Minister for Veterans' Affairs, the Minister for Defence Materiel, and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC Department executive Simon Lewis PSM, Secretary | ||
The Department of Veterans' Affairs is a department of the Government of Australia, established in 1976, and charged with the responsibility of delivering government programs for war veterans, members of the Australian Defence Force, members of the Australian Federal Police, and their dependants.
Contents
For administration purposes, the department forms part of the Defence portfolio.
The head of the department is the Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, currently Simon Lewis PSM, who is responsible to the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC, currently the Hon. Dan Tehan MP.
Operational activities
The functions of the department are broadly classified into the following matters:
Agencies
In carrying out its functions, the department administers the following agencies:
Key legislation
The Department of Veterans' Affairs is responsible for administration of several key Acts:
Department secretary
The Secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs is Simon Lewis, since July 2013. In addition to his role of departmental secretary, he is also the President of the Repatriation Commission and Chair of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission.
Below is a full list of the Department's Secretaries since it was established.
Other key officeholders
Other key officeholders in the department are the Deputy President of the Repatriation Commission, currently Craig Orme DSC, AM, CSC; and the Repatriation Commissioner, currently Major General M. A. Kelly AO, DSC.