2023 IPAA Queensland Irene Longman Oration
ABOUT THIS EVENT
IPAA Queensland was delighted to have Ms Rachel Hunter PSM, Director-General, Department of Premier and Cabinet, National IPAA Fellow, deliver our 2023 Irene Longman Oration.
Under the theme Public Service and Public Policy, Ms Hunter spoke to the role of public servants and the wider service in delivering public purpose outcomes.
Reflecting on her own public purpose career, Ms Hunter spoke to the mindset, ethos and the essential craft of the contemporary public servant – and how these forge policy success across the interface between the elected officials, public service, and community.
As a formidable operator who has worked not only as Director-General for the Department of Premier and Cabinet, but also in several senior leadership and policy positions, Ms Hunter presented an oration that connected, engaged and challenged.
Following the Oration, Ms Hunter sat down with IPAA Queensland President, Deidre Mulkerin for an informal discussion about the key themes and reflections offered in her speech.
The Irene Longman Oration is proudly supported by our major partner
For more read our event blog here.
About Ms Rachel Hunter PSM
Ms Rachel Hunter is a highly regarded and accomplished Director-General and Chief Executive, having worked across 
various portfolios over an extensive career.
A distinguished public sector leader, Ms Hunter is the first female Director-General of the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Queensland since the department’s inception in 1859.
Ms Hunter brings to the role an outcomes-focused and values-led leadership style.
As Queensland’s former Under Treasurer, Ms Hunter was at the helm of Queensland Treasury at a most critical time as the government responded to the global COVID-19 pandemic. As Under Treasurer she was instrumental in shaping and delivering on the government’s economic response and recovery plans for the state.
Ms Hunter been Director-General of three Queensland Government departments – the Department of Justice and Attorney-General, the Department of Education, Training and the Arts and the former Department of State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning. She also served as Queensland’s Public Service Commissioner between 2001 and 2003.
Ms Hunter has chaired the Board of Jobs Queensland providing industry and evidence-based advice on skills needs and workforce planning and has served as the Chair of Children’s Health Queensland.
In 2020, Ms Hunter was awarded a Public Service Medal for outstanding public service to the community of Queensland. In 2022, she made an IPAA National Fellow.
About IPAA Queensland’s Irene Longman Oration
The IPAA Queensland oration is named in honour of Irene Longman, the first female elected to the Queensland Parliament (1929-1932) and dedicated ‘public servant’ to the community for over 30 years. Her values and legacy include the welfare of women, children and people with intellectual disabilities; establishing the first education opportunity classes; the first women police in Queensland; creating a separate Children’s Court; and for the appointment of an advisory panel in difficult cases of juvenile delinquency.
The oration is an annual flagship event, similar to IPAA National’s Garran Oration (in honour of Sir Robert Garran, the first Commonwealth public servant) and the orations of state and territory IPAAs. The oration’s intent is to honour an individual and their contribution to the field of public administration. It is delivered by a prominent leader who will focus on an relevant aspect of the sector to encourage public interest and contemporary thinking.