The Minns government’s first secretary of the New South Wales Premier’s Department has decamped from the most powerful position in the state’s public service to head up arguably one of the most politically challenging and contentious agencies in Canberra. Simon Draper will become the next secretary of the federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources, with NSW Premier Chris Minns and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese both making closely timed announcements on the appointment on Thursday afternoon. Draper’s appointment is somewhat of a coup for federal Labor in that it effectively steals one of the most closely trusted systemic reformers and policy bullet catchers from Australia’s largest and economically most prosperous state just as it taxis towards an election cycle next year.