Patrick McClure

Chair, Oak Tree Retirement Villages Group (2018-2022)

Chair, Review Panel, Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Legislation (2017-2018)

In 2017, Assistant Minister to the Treasurer Michael Sukkar announced that McClure would chair a review of the ACNC Legislation. The final report, "Strengthening for Purpose: Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Legislation Commission Review 2018", made 30 recommendations relating to functions, powers, governance, basic religious charities, secrecy, advocacy, criminal misconduct, harmonisation of fundraising, one-stop-shop, and a national scheme for charities. The Australian Government response in March 2020 implemented 19 of the recommendations.

The final report titled "A New System for Better Employment and Social Outcomes" was launched in Canberra on 23 February 2015 by Patrick McClure and the Minister for Social Services Scott Morrison. It proposed an integrated approach across four pillars of reform with an employment focus: a simpler and more sustainable income support system, building individual and family capacity, engaging employers, and building community capacity.

Since the 2015 budget, the Australian government has allocated funds for a new ICT system, a prerequisite for introducing a simpler income support system; the Priority Investment Approach contracting PwC to complete annual actuarial valuations of groups at risk of lifetime welfare dependence; allocations to organisations from the $100m Try, Test and Learn Fund; simplification of child and youth payments; support for social impact investment in affordable housing; and a new JobSeeker Payment to replace or consolidate seven existing payments.

In December 2013, Minister for Social Services Kevin Andrews announced that McClure would chair a Reference Group on Welfare Reform. An interim report was released on 29 June 2014, followed by roundtables with 175 key stakeholders in all states and territories, consultations with 55 people on income support, 271 formal submissions and 231 online comments.

Chair, Reference Group on Welfare Reform (2013-2015)

He was a director of the Kincare Group (2013–18).

Ethics Fellow, Centre for Social Impact, UNSW (2008-2010)

Chief Executive Officer, Macquarie Capital Retirement Villages Group (2006-2008)

Mission Australia acquired a one-third shareholding in Working Links, a UK employment company, in 2005. In the same year, the organisation opened the Mission Australia Centre in Surry Hills, Sydney, providing integrated services for homeless people.

The organisation became a major provider of employment services in the privatised Job Network. Mission Australia was also awarded the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership Award in 2001.

Chair, Reference Group on Welfare Reform (1999-2000)

McClure was appointed chair of the Australian government's Reference Group on Welfare Reform (1999-2000). The final report, "Participation Support for a More Equitable Society" (known as the McClure Report) outlined a blueprint for welfare reform. In the 2001 Federal Budget, the Australian Government committed $1.7 billion over four years to implement recommendations of the report called Australians Working Together.

Chief Executive Officer, Mission Australia (1997-2006)

McClure was CEO of the Society of St Vincent de Paul (NSW/ACT) during a period of major organisation reform. The Society had a budget of $375m, providing housing, youth, family services and social assistance to over 500,000 disadvantaged people each year. During his tenure, he was also a member of the NSW Government Drought Assistance Committee, which distributed $80 million in drought assistance to rural households across NSW in 1995–1996.

Chief Executive Officer, Society of St Vincent de Paul (NSW/ACT) (1992-1996)

McClure has a Master of Arts (Public Policy) from Murdoch University, WA (1987-1991), and a Bachelor of Social Work (Distinction) from Curtin University, WA (1978-1981). He also has a Diploma in Theological and Pastoral Studies from Yarra Theological Union, Vic (1975). He is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) (2005).

He worked as director of Migrant Services and area manager, Social Work, in the Department of Social Security (now the Department of Social Services) in Perth and Sydney (1985-1991).

He was a director of Amnesty International (1978-1988), working with refugees and coordinating global campaigns against human rights abuses.

He was founder and chair of Second Harvest (Australia), a social enterprise providing low cost food to people on low income (1978-1989), and awarded a Churchill Fellowship (1989) to study social enterprises in the US, Canada and the UK.

McClure was born in Auckland, New Zealand and migrated with his family to Australia at age 14 years. He commenced his secondary education at St Peter's College, Auckland and completed it at Waverley College, Sydney. In 1968, he joined the Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor), was ordained a priest in 1975 and resigned from the ministry in 1977. He then pursued a career in the social purpose sector.

Patrick Joseph McClure, AO (born 1949) advises governments on welfare reform, social policy, charity regulation and impact investment. He is a company director and a former chief executive officer of Mission Australia and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (NSW/ACT).