Staff in the office of Premier Peter Malinauskas receive pay rise of 2.9 per cent
Premier Peter Malinauskas’ 40-strong team of staff have received a pay rise. See their hefty new pay packets.
SA News
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Premier Peter Malinauskas’ 40-strong team of staff – including directors, advisers and media monitors – are being paid as much as $225,000 a year after they received a pay rise.
The 2.9 per cent raise equates to a few thousand dollars in most cases, but is below the current inflation rate of four per cent.
The highest paid employee is Mr Malinauskas’ chief of staff John Bistrovic ($225,225), followed by director of media and communications Adam Todd ($190,365).
Deputy chiefs of staff Cheyne Rich and Sonia Romeo, and chief media adviser to the premier Nick Harmsen are all on $183,822.
Four senior media advisers are each paid $149,308, and 11 media advisers are paid $127,312.
The total number of staff in the premier’s office rose from 39.8 in mid-2023 to 40.4 in mid-2024, which includes media advisers seconded to other offices.
However, each minister has their own staff and the headcount dropped in other offices.
The office of Deputy Premier Susan Close dropped from six employees in mid-2023 to four in mid-2024. Several staff moved offices around the time of the cabinet reshuffle in April 2024.
Across all offices, the salary for a senior ministerial adviser rose to $144,874, while a ministerial adviser is now paid $119,631.
The salaries of all ministerial staff – government and opposition – are published each year in the Government Gazette.
In the office of Opposition Leader David Speirs, chief of staff Ryan Smith is paid $167,110, while director of media and communications Ben Harvy is on $135,777.
They are among 10.7 staff in Mr Speirs’ office, which also includes policy director Anna Finizio ($127,500) and policy adviser Julian Robertson ($125,332).
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Originally published as Staff in the office of Premier Peter Malinauskas receive pay rise of 2.9 per cent
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