The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (PM&C) is an Australian Government department that was established in 1971. The precursor to the Department was known as the Prime Minister's Department and was established in 1911. PM&C's role is to ensure that policy proposals put to the Prime Minister and to Cabinet are developed in a coherent, informed and coordinated fashion, to co-ordinate the implementation of key government programs, to support official visits, ceremonies and state occasions and, to manage the operations of the official residences. The responsibilities of the Department are considerably wider than in most other Westminster systems, although the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in New Zealand has similar responsibilities.