The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) Gifts and Benefits Reporting Guidelines came into effect from 18 October 2019. Under this guidance, The APSC requires agency heads to publish a register of gifts and benefits they accept on their departmental or agency website on a quarterly basis.
In the course of their duties as both the Secretary and Deputy Secretaries, the following gifts and/or benefits whose value exceeds the stipulated threshold of AUD $100.00 (excluding GST) were received.
DFAT updates the Gifts and Benefits Register quarterly by 31 January, 30 April, 31 July and 31 October.
For more information on DFATs Policy around Gifts and Benefits, please see the Ethics, Integrity and Professional Standards Policy Manual, or contact giftsandbenefits@dfat.gov.au.
| ID Number | Date Received | Description | Item Type (gift or benefit) | Received By (Name and position/APS level of receiver) | Given By (including donor entity name and country if relevant) | Estimated Value in $AUD (wholesale value in country or origin or current market value in Australia) | How the gift or benefit was handled (i.e retained, disposed etc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ongoing1 | Ongoing | Chairman's Lounge Membership | Benefit | Secretary, Deputy Secretaries, Head of the Office of the Pacific | Qantas Airways LTD | N/A | Retained for official use |
| Ongoing2 | Ongoing | The Club Membership | Benefit | Secretary, Deputy Secretaries, Head of the Office of the Pacific | Virgin Australia | N/A | Retained for official use |
| 202603 | 03/03/2026 | La'Artisan Scarf (Patriot Collection) and Lotus Flower painting |
Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Dr Le Dinh Tinh, Director General of the Policy Planning Department | $145.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202602 | 26/02/2026 | Patterned Sandstone Plaque | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Keo Rottanak, Minister for Energy, Cambodian Government | $100.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202601 | 26/02/2026 | 1x Bottle of Moet & Chandon Reserve Imperial, 1x Packet Green Coffee Beans | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | H.E Mr Chatoulong Bouasisavath, Embassy of the Lao People's Democratic Republic | $110.00 (combined value) | Retained for official use |
| 202512 | 05/12/2025 | Gift box with reflective clam shell outer design, and black felt inner lining | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | HE Herrera-Lim Leo, Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs and SOM Leader | $150.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202511 | 05/12/2025 | Storage box topped with ornate design of Marina Bay Sands, black felt inner lining | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | HE Foo Chi Hsia, Second Permanent Secretary and SOM Leader, Ministry of Foreign Affairs | $130.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202510 | 20/11/2025 | Tickets to Hospitality Suite and Premium Seats in Rod Laver Arena | Gift | Secretary, Jan Adams | Tennis Australia | $500.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202509 | 25/08/2025 | Colours of Diplomacy Book | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | ASEAN Philippines Secretariat | $100.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202508 | 11/07/2025 | Silk Scarf | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Madame Phongsamouth Anlavan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs | $400.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202507 | 28/05/2025 | Glenfiddich Scotch Whisky Perpetual Collection VAT 02 and Lindt Masterpieces Chocolate | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Embassy of Vietnam | $213.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202506 | 23/05/2025 | 1 bottle of Sake and 1 stole | Gift | Deputy Secretary SCG, Elly Lawson | The Governor of Fukushima Prefecture | $143.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202505 | 30/04/2025 | Cotton/bamboo scarf | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Former Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs | $117.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202504 | 15/04/2025 | 6x Wajima-Nuri Chopsticks (laquer chopsticks) | Gift | Secretary, Jan Adams | Director, Japan Pavillion at the Osaka World Expo 2025 | $150.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202503 | 20/03/2025 | VIP Function tickets at the Australia/Indonesia World Cup qualifying match, Sydney Football Stadium | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Football Australia | $600.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202502 | 28/02/2025 | Thai Silk Scarf | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Department of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Thailand | $218.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202501 | 22/01/2025 | Tea and desk calendar | Gift | Secretary, Jan Adams | Researcher for Political Affairs, South Korea | $177.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202408 | 04/12/2024 | Consumables hamper | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Ambassador of Vietnam | $105.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202407 | 28/11/2024 | Two tickets to the Ryman Healthcare Spring Gala: Beethoven's Ninth, performance by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | Gift | Secretary, Jan Adams | Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | $192 | Retained for official use |
| 202406 | 09/07/2024 | Tea Set | Gift | Deputy Secretary SCG, Elly Lawson | Executive Assistant to the Ambassador | $150.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202405 | 28/06/2024 | Collectable coins, scarf | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Helder Lopes, Timor Leste | $100.00 (combined value) | Retained for official use |
| 202403 | 11/06/2024 | Tea Set | Gift | Deputy Secretary SCG, Elly Lawson | Chinese Premier Li Qiang | $140.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202402 | 12/04/2024 | Penfolds Bin 8 Shiraz Cabernet 2019, Chandon Brut, Truffettes de France and Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee Special Edition |
Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | His Excellency Mr PHAM Hung Tam, Vietnamese Embassy in Australia | $105.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202401 | 08/04/2024 | Perspex box containing mixed metal silver boats | Gift | Deputy Secretary SCG, Elly Lawson | Head of Kemlu's internal thinktank, Foreign Policy Strategy Agency | $200.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202305 | 11/12/2023 | Lindt Chocolates | Gift | Deputy Secretary SCG, Elly Lawson | High Commissioner, Bangladesh | $125.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202304 | 25/10/2023 | Tickets to Matilda's Quarter Final | Gift | Secretary, Jan Adams | Global Express | $400.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202303 | 17/08/2023 | Tan Cuong Natural Green Tea and Trung Nguyen Legend Coffee | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Ambassador Thanh | $146.17 | Retained for official use |
| 202302 | 15/08/2023 | Batik Scarf, Coffee and ASEAN Merchandise | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Indonesia Kemlu (Foreign Ministry) | $150.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202301 | 17/07/2023 | Tickets to Bangarra Dance Performance | Gift | Deputy Secretary Clare Walsh | Canberra Dance Theatre | $200.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202208 | 13/12/2022 | Handmade Silk Scarf | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Mr Anne Crete Riise, Ambassador to the Embassy of Norway | $100.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202207 | 23/11/2022 | Gold Lotus Flower Framed with Plaque and Ha Bao Silk | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | Chairman Phan Dinh Trac, Internal Affairs Commission Vietnam | $178.95 | Retained for official use |
| 202206 | 22/11/2022 | Plaque of Singapore Merlion with Stamp | Gift | Deputy Secretary SSG, Michelle Chan | H.E Mr Thangphare Savanphet, Lao Vice Minister | $118.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202205 | 15/05/2022 | Framed Tongan Artwork | Gift | Secretary, Kathryn Campbell | Tongan Commissioner General and Ambassador to the UAE | $200.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202204 | 19/04/2022 | Thai Vogue Book and Thai Metal Box | Gift | Deputy Secretary SGG, Katrina Cooper | Thani Thongpakdi, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thailand | $165.15 (combined value) | Retained for official use |
| 202203 | 13/04/2022 | Indonesia Red Cross Book and Memorabilia Item | Gift | Deputy Secretary SGG, Katrina Cooper | Jusuf Kalla, PMI Chairman & former Vice President of Indonesia – Indonesia Red Cross | $100.00 (combined value) | Retained for official use |
| 202202 | 02/03/2022 | Silver vase | Gift | Deputy Secretary SGG, Katrina Cooper | HR Minister Pan Sorasak, Minister for Commerce Cambodia | $250.00 | Retained for official use |
| 202201 | 18/03/2022 | 2x Swiss Army Knives | Gift | Chief Operating Officer (COO), Adrian Hudson | Caroline Bichet-Anthamatten, Ambassador of Switzerland and on behalf of Embassy of Switzerland as wedding gift | $100.00 | Retained for personal use |
| 201901 | 24/09/2019 | Two tickets to the Gillette T20 INTL Series | Gift | Secretary, Frances Adamson | Cricket Australia | $100.00 | Retained for official use |