Process underway to strip Michael Pezzullo of Order of Australia

Former Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo is set to be stripped of his Order of Australia.

Government sources have confirmed to The Canberra Times that the process is underway to strip Mr Pezzullo of the award.

Mr Pezzullo, once one of the country's most powerful bureaucrats, was fired from the top Home Affairs job in November 2023, following an investigation into allegations that he sent text messages to a Liberal Party powerbroker over five years in an apparent attempt to wield political influence.

The Governor-General, according to the Order of Australia Terminations and Cancellations Ordinance, may terminate an appointment or cancel an award if a court, tribunal or other body exercising judicial or administrative power under the Commonwealth makes an adverse finding about the recipient.

They may also terminate the appointment if "in the opinion of the Governor-General, the holder of the appointment or award has behaved or acted in a manner that has brought disrepute on the order".

The Governor-General acts on recommendations made by the council on matters relating to the Order of Australia.

Former Australian Public Service commissioner Lynelle Briggs' inquiry into Mr Pezzullo last year found he had breached the APS Code of Conduct 14 times in relation to five overarching allegations.

These allegations included that Mr Pezzullo used his duty, power, status or authority to seek to gain a benefit or advantage for himself, and engaged in gossip and disrespectful critique of ministers and public servants.

Allegations also included that he failed to maintain confidentiality of sensitive government information; failed to act apolitically in his employment; and failed to disclose a conflict of interest.

Mr Pezzullo was appointed an officer of the Order of Australia in 2020 for his "distinguished service to public administration through leadership roles in the areas of national security, border control and immigration".

The former bureaucrat led the public service's implementation of border protection policies; and pushed for the creation of a new Home Affairs department in 2017, which brought immigration, border protection and domestic security under one mega-agency.

Mr Pezzullo declined to comment on the matter but wished a "Happy Easter".