Tasmanian government ministerial advisers’ pay packets revealed: Jeremy Rockliff, Nic Street’s chiefs of staff top earners
Some Tasmanian government advisers are being paid more than the ministers they serve, with the highest pay packets now revealed >>
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SOME state government ministerial advisers are being paid more than the ministers they serve.
The number of ministerial advisers – and their pay packets – has shown strong growth over the Liberals’ term in office, new figures show.
But the government says their Labor-Green predecessors – voted out in 2014 – were worse.
Tasmania is spending between $11.7m and $13.6m on ministerial advisers’ salaries each year.
Information released by the state government under its routine disclosure regimen reveals 92 ministerial advisers compared with 80 in 2016 and 86 in 2019.
The figures do not include electorate officers, nor the dozen-plus ministerial drivers.
The government only reveals salary ranges rather than exact figures.
The average salary for a ministerial adviser lies somewhere between $127,639 and $148,285.
The top three — Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff and Minister for Sport and Recreation Nic Street’s chief of staff, are paid between $243,607 and $281,463.
By comparison, Mr Rockliff receives around $301,397, Mr Street around $238,000 and a member of parliament $140,185.
Fifteen advisers are in salary bands with higher maximum salaries than cabinet ministers.
The figures show Mr Rockliff has 19 advisers, compared with 15.9 for his predecessors Peter Gutwein and Will Hodgman at the end of their terms. Mr Hodgman made do with just 12.8 advisers in 2016.
The figures reveal that the government is spending between $1.4m and $1.6m on a team of 11 spin doctors on an average salary of between $130,000 and $150,000 — and a maximum of $234,606.
Greens leader Cassy O’Connor said for the money, Tasmanians might expect more.
“The astronomical price of government spin doctors continues to climb,” she said.
“While Liberal advisers are being paid more, teachers, nurses, paramedics and other public servants are being forced to strike to earn a fair wage.
“The salaries they are handing out to Liberal apparatchiks are eye-watering.”
In response a government spokesman said the information was released every six months, in line with the commitment to openness and transparency.
“By contrast, it was never released under Labor and the Greens,” the spokesman said.
“The cost of supporting ministers through their ministerial staff is an important part of government, with advisers working closely with stakeholders and departments to ensure the business of government runs smoothly.
“While staffing does fluctuate from week to week, total ministerial staffing under the Liberals is still lower than it was in the last full year of the Labor-Green government, including in the Government Communications Office.
“Cassy O’Connor was a cabinet minister in that government so yet again, the Greens’ hypocrisy knows no bounds.”
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Originally published as Tasmanian government ministerial advisers’ pay packets revealed: Jeremy Rockliff, Nic Street’s chiefs of staff top earners
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