Leaked staff list exposes truths

So critical of the “jobs for the boys” culture of the previous CLP government, under Labor the fifth floor now resembles a creche for mates and failed candidates, writes HAYLEY SORENSEN

How many spin doctors does it take to get the Chief Minister’s message out?

Nine, apparently.

That’s the number of staff working within Michael Gunner’s ministerial office who have “communications” in their title, an internal phone list leaked to the NT News last week showed.

There’s someone to trail him with a camera during visits to construction sites and another to upload that video of him nodding approvingly at scaffolding to Facebook and another to whack a few pictures on a newsletter.

That’s after that visit has been planned by another and approved by a few more.

Those nine staff are in addition to the eight other ministerial media advisers working for other Cabinet members, making for a complete Labor propaganda unit of 17.

One in five workers on Parliament’s fifth floor deal in spin.

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It’s difficult to make a direct comparison to previous Territory administrations. Lists such as the one leaked to the NT News last week are kept closely guarded.

The list reveals the names and positions of the 90 people in ministerial support roles on Parliament’s fifth floor.

We copped some criticism for its publication but stand by the decision to do so as it points to a number of problems which go far deeper than an addiction to spin.

So critical of the “jobs for the boys” culture of the previous CLP government, under Labor the fifth floor now resembles a creche for mates and failed candidates.

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Of the seven Labor candidates who didn’t wind up with a seat after the last election, four have had fifth floor jobs in the past three years.

Two remain, both on Gunner’s roster of 27 staff.

Phil Tilbrook, who unsuccessfully ran in Spillet at the 2016 election is employed as a “union liaison officer” while Mick Taylor — who received only 860 votes in Goyder — is a “research officer” in Mr Gunner’s office.

Until recently, the fifth floor appointment to raise eyebrows highest was that of former deputy Labor leader Lynne Walker, who lost her seat of Nhulunbuy to Yingiya Guyula, to the role of indigenous affairs adviser in Mr Gunner’s office.

It takes more than a hard hat to survive what falls on you in politics. Chief Minister Michael Gunner relies on many spin doctors to lesson the debris. Picture: Keri Megelus

The job — which she has since left — gave her an office in her old electorate and access to a taxpayer funded car, leading some to not so quietly suggest the position was created as a platform for her to campaign for re-election in 2020.

The leaked staff list shows Walker’s former position no longer exists within Gunner’s office.

Questionable as that appointment may have been, it was last week eclipsed in the minds of voters as when the NT News revealed Gunner had installed his brother-in-law Ryan Neve as his deputy chief of staff.

Public sentiment was damning and it didn’t help that the Chief Minister’s office — with its nine communications staff — took the mind-achingly dumb step of at first refusing to confirm Neve’s appointment, surrendering the chance to explain why he was the best person for the job.

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If that’s the quality of the advice Gunner is getting in return for the taxpayer-funded salaries of his propaganda team, we’re all being ripped off.

Ministers are technically within their rights to appoint whoever they like to their personal staff — whether that’s a brother-in-law or an old friend and colleague. Whether that will wash with voters is a different matter.

Like any workplace, some fifth floor staffers work incredibly hard and some are passengers.

But if this cash strapped government is looking for some fat to trim, I know where they can find a list.

Hayley Sorensen is the Sunday Territorian resident columnist.