Jacinta Allan can’t say how many staff in Premier’s Private Office

Victoria’s Premier doesn’t know many people work in her office amid shocking revelations that her predecessor, Dan Andrews, last year had more staff than the Prime Minister and NSW leader combined.

Jacinta Allan was on Wednesday unable to say how many people work in her office amid shocking revelations that former Victorian premier Daniel Andrews last year had more staff than the Prime Minister and NSW leader combined.

Data released for the first time in the damning Ombudsman’s report shows Mr Andrews began amassing a huge personal staff almost immediately after winning office in 2014.

The number of employees have almost doubled since 2010, with the growth in size of the Premier’s Private Office (PPO) significantly outpacing those in other Australian jurisdictions.

The Herald Sun on Wednesday asked Ms Allan how many staff she currently has in her office and if she would commit to lowering that number.

Ms Allan said: “In response to some previous reports that have been tabled in the Victorian Parliament, we’ve made some in-principle commitments to, in terms of releasing additional detail on that”.

Jacinta Allan was on Wednesday unable to say how many people work in her office. Picture: David Crosling

“As you can appreciate it, we are going through a period of transition with my office, we’re in the process of engaging new staff — staff coming and going as we have a change of premier in Victoria.

“So the final number is not settled.

“Different jurisdictions ... what’s in and what’s out is counted in very different ways but we’ll be looking in due course on the numbers.”

The Ombudsman’s report found that Mr Andrews’ office employed more than 80 staff in 2022, which was the highest of across the nation.

The Prime Minister’s office had more than 50 staff, while the NSW Premier’s office had around 35 employees.

The Tasmanian Premier had the smallest office, recording fewer than 20 staff last year.

Costs and staff numbers have soared between 2012 and 2022, with the largest increase reported in 2015.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass says official data shows the size of the PPO has grown at roughly double the rate of the public service.

Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass said official data showed the size of the PPO had grown at roughly double the rate of the public service.

She said the expanding role of the PPO as a marginalising force rated frequent mention among submissions to her inquiry.

One former secretary noted many public servants showed an unhealthy focus on PPO views and reactions, which were perhaps even put above those of their relevant minister’s office.

“I think the problem has been the extent to which ministers have been diminished in their role through overreach of the PPO,” one former executive said.

One agency head observed the PPO had ‘become quite a powerful entity’ which increasingly required briefings in tandem with ministerial offices.

“There’s no doubt that the Premier’s Private Office exercises substantial control, but not to the point of being so self-defeating that they didn’t have proper regard for advice and initiatives that came from the public service itself,” another former secretary said.