$25,000 spend on bureaucrats’ ‘drama classes’ as just 13 attend

Services Australia staff were treated to lessons from the National Institute of Dramatic Art, under a nine-day $25,000 contract.

More than $25,000 was spent on giving just 13 government bureaucrats dramatic arts training to teach them how to “communicate with empathy”, with the Coalition lashing the cash-splash on the “farcical” contract for Services Australia boffins.

The government agency contracted the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) to provide training for its high-level leaders, with just over a dozen staff participating in the sessions across two training days at a cost of $25,817.91.

Liberal Senator Claire Chandler declared it “farcical” that tens of thousands of dollars was being spent on training just 13 senior professionals on how to communicate.

Senator Claire Chandler said the spending was “farcical”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

“On the Albanese Government’s watch Services Australia spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ money on speechwriters and drama classes, while Australians were left waiting months for their pensions to be approved,” she said.

“This is a typical example of the Albanese Government’s wasteful spending and bizarre priorities amidst a cost-of-living crisis.”

A Services Australia spokesman confirmed to The Telegraph just 13 staff attended two NIDA courses under the nine-day contract.

“NIDA corporate training is highly regarded and widely used across both government and non-government organisations for senior management development purposes,” he said.

“In October 2024, 13 staff attended two separate NIDA courses, at a total combined cost of $25,817.91.

“Services Australia is a large and complex organisation, with approximately 35,000 staff. This training helps our staff develop skills to tailor communication to meet the needs of our vast and diverse audience.”

Senior staff at Services Australia, which helms agencies like Centrelink and Medicare, defended the spend when grilled by Senator Chandler in Senate estimates.

Senator Claire Chandler said wasting taxpayers’ money on drama class was an example of the Albanese Government’s wasteful spending. Picture: Linda Higginson

One representative of Services Australia told estimates the training “is about having confidence in presenting, whether it’s presenting at estimates or in other forums, and training our leaders in how to … present with a level of confidence … in what they’re delivering”.

This was denied by a colleague shortly after, with Services Australia deputy CEO Susie Smith saying the training was instead to refine messaging to users of the department’s services.

“It was actually about how … can we best ensure that we tailor our messages, that we communicate with empathy, that we think about stories that relate to the cohorts that we serve in the community, and that we do so in a respectful and appropriate way,” Ms Smith said, denying the lessons were to help senior staff prepare for estimates.

The criticism from the Coalition comes amid Peter Dutton’s pledge to cut from the 36,000 bureaucrats hired under the Albanese Government in a bid to slash spending and fund election promises.

Senate estimates last week also uncovered a $57,000 spend on an office fit-out for a former Department of Parliamentary Services bureaucrat, with $20,000 of that spent on a bespoke desk that is currently in storage.

The Coalition has previously taken aim at government expenditure on Welcome to Countries, after documents unveiled under freedom of information laws revealed $550,000 has been spent on the ceremonies during the Albanese Government’s first term.

NIDA was contacted for comment.

Originally published as $25,000 spend on bureaucrats’ ‘drama classes’ as just 13 attend