The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is an Australian Government public service central department of state with broad ranging responsibilities, primary of which is for intergovernmental and whole of government policy coordination and assisting the prime minister of Australia in managing the Cabinet of Australia. The PM&C was established in 1971 and traces its origins back to the Prime Minister's Department established in 1911. The role of PM&C is to support the policy agenda of the prime minister and Cabinet through high quality policy advice and the coordination of the implementation of key government programs, to manage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy and programs and to promote reconciliation, to provide leadership for the Australian Public Service alongside the Australian Public Service Commission, to oversee the honours and symbols of the Commonwealth, to provide support to ceremonies and official visits, and to coordinate national security, regulatory reform, public data, and women's policy. The department is similar but not analogous to the United States Executive Office of the President, the United Kingdom Cabinet Office, the Canadian Privy Council Office, and the New Zealand Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. As well, the Australian states have their own departments of Premier and Cabinet. History Before 1911, the prime minister had no department of his own as such. The prime minister was concurrently the minister for external affairs, and used the services of the Department of External Affairs. The Prime Minister's Department was created in July 1911, initially on a small scale compared to other government departments of the day. On 11 March 1968, Prime Minister John Gorton split off a section of the Prime Minister's Department to form the Department of the Cabinet Office with responsibility to service the Cabinet and the committees of Cabinet. On 12 March 1971, the Prime Minister's Department was abolished and its functions moved to the new Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet that combined the functions of the Prime Minister's Department and the Department of the Cabinet Office. The Prime Minister of the day, William McMahon, told the media that the former system with separate departments was inefficient. Portfolio ministers The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio includes the following ministers: Prime Minister Minister for Indigenous Australians Minister for Women Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service and Cabinet Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister and Cabinet