Michael Pezzullo has been sacked as Home Affairs secretary, one of the most powerful roles in the federal public service, for code of conduct breaches after an investigation into whether he used his position to gain personal advantage and failed to protect confidential government information.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the decision on Monday after the government received the independent review into thousands of text messages that Mr Pezzullo reportedly exchanged with Liberal powerbroker and lobbyist Scott Briggs during the previous Morrison government.