NSW ministers spent $23.7 million in six months on staff, travel, printing and taxis

In Labor’s first six months in power, ministers racked up $23.7 million worth of spending — including $400k of travel, $173k on ‘stationery and office supplies’, and $45k on taxis. Read where the rest went.

The Minns government has gone on a staff hiring spree, adding 20 ministerial staff to its ranks.

The staffing data — quietly released last Friday — reveals that at December 31, 24 advisers were employed at the highest staffing band, earning as much as $320,000 per year.

The Daily Telegraph can also reveal that in Labor’s first six months in power, ministers racked up $23.7 million worth of spending — including $400,000 of travel, $173,601 on “stationery and office supplies”, and $45,564 on taxis.

Most of the ministerial spending in Premier Chris Minns’ first six months went on staffing salaries: $14.1 million.

That amount will have only increased after ministers added more staff to their offices.

At December 31, ministers employed 198.08 full-time-equivalent (FTE) staff — 20.48 more than at June 30 (177.6).

Police Minister Yasmin Catley more than doubled her staffing ranks, going from employing three staff members to 6.4.

Labor sources said the increase could be explained by Ms Catley taking on the Hunter portfolio after Tim Crakanthorp was dumped.

Gaming and Racing Minister David Harris added three staffers to his books between June and December, as did the Premier.

The staffing increase can be partly explained by spending cuts imposed by Mr Minns’ inner circle in a bid to save money immediately after taking office.

Ministers had their staffing budgets cut, with many privately complaining that slim budgets made it more difficult to hire staff.

As a result, ministers struggled to fill their full staffing allocations.

Premier Chris Minns added three staff to his office in the six months to December. Picture: NCA NewsWire

Labor sources have told The Telegraph that some of those budgets have since increased.

The staffing ranks at December 31 included 24.06 people employed on the “MS6” band, which attracts a salary of between $241,000 and $320,000.

Twenty four staff are employed at the MS5 band, commanding a salary between $193,000 and $241,000.

Since June, ministers hired an additional 16.5 MS4 staffers, who are on a salary band between $149,000 and $193,000.

Health Minister Ryan Park spent $17,215 on stationery and office supplies in six months. Picture: NCA NewsWIRE

Meanwhile, ministers spent thousands of dollars on printing and taxis in the first six months of office.

Mr Minns’ office spent the most on travel ($66,588) and taxis ($18,139).

However, Health Minister Ryan Park outstripped the Premier on stationery and office supplies, spending $17,215 in his first six months.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey’s office spent more than $4000 in taxis. Picture: Richard Dobson

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey was the second-highest spender on taxis, clocking up a $4113 bill.

A comparison of spending between the Labor government and the former Coalition shows that Mr Minns has tightened the purse strings since winning the election, his ministers are spending less on work perks than their predecessors.

Former Premier Dominic Perrottet’s ministry racked up $44 million in spending in the nine months before the state election, according to data first revealed by The Telegraph last year.

According to the data, Mr Perrottet’s office had a $6.7 million bill, including staff expenses.

Former premier Dominic Perrottet’s ministers spent $44 million in the last nine months of the Coalition. Picture: Supplied

The then-premier’s office spent $44,000 in taxis in the nine months before the election. Then-Nationals leader Paul Toole’s office spent $9243 on taxis. Then-Tourism Minister Ben Franklin’s office had the third-highest taxi bill, at more than $8,000.

The Coalition also outstripped the Minns government on staffing numbers — in June 2022 the Coalition employed more than 247 advisers.

That included a number of chiefs of staff on the now-abolished MS7 salary band, earning as much as $354,201 per year.

$23K FOR A BEACHSIDE RETREAT ON RISING COSTS

Taxpayers forked out $23,000 for members of the Minns government to have a weekend retreat in Wollongong, where ministers resolved to focus on cost-of-living pressures, while spending free time relaxing at the beach and swimming in the hotel pool.

All but three of Premier Chris Minns’ cabinet charged taxpayers for a $450 room at the Novotel Wollongong Northbeach to attend the working retreat last year.

Four of the premier’s staff also stayed, as did three police officers and a driver, taking the total rooms booked to 28.

Taxpayers even forked out $1,232 in booking fees and an extra $770 for a “domestic offline group booking surcharge”.

Members of the government enjoyed a working retreat at the Novotel Northbeach at Wollongong. Picture: Supplied

Health Minister Ryan Park, Planning Minister Paul Scully and Trade Minister Anoulack Chanthivong did not stay, overnight, choosing to sleep at home because they live nearby.

Ministers also enjoyed a $2,125 dinner charged to the taxpayer, while more than $6,000 was spent on venue hire for the two-day retreat.

The total spend came to $23,011.75, not including the cost of ministers’ cars, according to details provided under freedom of information laws.

Mr Minns billed the event as a “community cabinet” meeting, but the ministry only held one meeting with stakeholders, a breakfast attended by a range of councils, local major employer BlueScope Steel and three Labor backbenchers.

Labor sources said the weekend was designed to get the cabinet together to thrash out ideas for 2024. The main takeaway, they said, was the government needed to resolutely focus on the cost-of-living pressures facing NSW residents.

Former WA Premier Mark McGowan was also there to give NSW ministers a pep talk, according to sources.

While slugging taxpayers for the weekend, the Minns government has moved to clamp down on ministers’ travel.

In 2022, the former coalition government clocked up more than $540,000 in overseas travel, including $72,000 for then-Energy Minister Matt Kean to go to the UK and Egypt and $56,000 for Stuart Ayres to go to the UK. Taxpayers also paid $294,633 for Premier Dominic Perrottet and others to go to Japan, Korea and India.

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