One of Tasmania’s senior public servants has taken up a job with the Victorian Government.
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David Nicholson, a former Labor staffer, is now working as Deputy Secretary, Corporate Governance and Support at the Department of Justice and Community Safety.
Department of Premier and Cabinet secretary Jenny Gale confirmed Mr Nicholson had his last day as a deputy secretary with DPAC on January 7.
“A recruitment process as per the Senior Executive Service guidelines will be undertaken to fill the role,” Ms Gale said.
“In the meantime Mellissa Gray will act as the Deputy Secretary – Policy.”
Mr Nicholson is one of nine deputy secretaries in the Department of Justice and Community Support.
He is responsible for corporate governance and support.
Community and Public Sector Union secretary Tom Lynch said he believed Mr Nicholson had taken the job as a career move.
“He was held in high regard nationally from the COAG meetings he attended,” Mr Lynch said.
“It’s important that there is succession planning and losing experienced staff is not good for any system.
“The Victorian Government is a progressive government and it would be interesting to be part of it.”
A Victorian Department of Justice spokesman said he could not provide details of specific individual pay including Mr Nicholson’s.
Remuneration for an executive officer in the Victorian Public Sector Commission ranges from $182.070 to $448,119 a year.
Before going to DPAC in 2016 Mr Nicholson was a deputy secretary in the Department of Health.
He worked for the Tasmanian Labor Government as an adviser from 2002 to 2010 and was a former chief of staff to Lara Giddings when she was Attorney-General and Health Minister.
Mr Nicholson, who was educated at Marist College at Burnie, was awarded the Australia and New Zealand School of Government’s Valedictorian Prize for the student who received the highest marks in 2016.
The Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety is headed by Rebecca Falkingham.