Background and career Paul O'Sullivan

1 background , career

1.1 public service , diplomatic career

1.1.1 role in oil food scandal


1.2 political advisor

background , career

o sullivan attended marcellin college, randwick, , graduated university of sydney bachelor of arts (hons).

public service , diplomatic career

after joining department of foreign affairs in 1971, o sullivan held diplomatic appointments in rome, washington, d.c. , cairo. between 1991 , 1994 australian representative un disarmament office. 1994 1996 headed 2 divisions in department of foreign affairs , trade. after serving deputy chief of mission @ australian embassy in washington, o sullivan appointed australian ambassador germany in 1999.

o sullivan deputy secretary in department of foreign affairs , trade between 2003 , 2004. appointed senior advisor (international) prime minister john howard in january 2004, taking appointment head australian security intelligence organisation in july 2005. between 2004 , 2005 o sullivan concurrently commissioner of national crime commission.

o sullivan s appointment director-general of security criticised former australian secret intelligence service officer warren reed, claimed o sullivan failed protect reed s cover while serving deputy australian ambassador in cairo, leading abduction of reed s operational assistant egyptian security agents , closure of asis station in cairo. within weeks of appointment lead asio, series of islamic suicide bombings of london occurred amid domestic calls draconian counter-terrorism laws, followed months later 2005 bali bombings, leaving 4 australian tourists dead. in 2006, o sullivan warned terrorists carry out attacks on hotels , restaurants in australia. following actions 2 asio agents supreme court justice stated criminal , constituted kidnapping under law, court dismissed legal proceedings after assessing asio interviews inadmissible. o sullivan defended actions asio agents, although did admit changes have been made asio s procedures.

role in oil food scandal

according evidence presented, in march 2006, cole inquiry, australian royal commission oil food scandal, in june 2005 while serving senior international advisor prime minister, o sullivan advised executives of australian wheat board (awb) against full co-operation united nations inquiry allegations awb had breached un sanctions paying kickbacks regime of former iraqi dictator sadaam hussein. notes tendered cole inquiry showed o sullivan told awb executives [k]eep responses narrow [and] technical. not blame us, complain process. prime minister john howard had ordered full co-operation un inquiry. o sullivan gagged commenting further in public, while cole inquiry in progress.

political advisor

on 1 november 2013, o sullivan commenced appointment chief of staff attorney-general, george brandis qc.