Anthony Albanese’s chief of staff urged talks with contracts winner

Anthony Albanese’s chief of staff Tim Gartrell instructed senior ministers to meet with former Labor staffer Ben Hubbard and seek his counsel on the establishment of their offices.

Tim Gartrell. Picture: David Swift

Anthony Albanese’s chief of staff Tim Gartrell instructed senior ministers to meet with former Labor staffer Ben Hubbard and seek his counsel on the establishment of their offices, months before the strategic adviser won key government contracts.

An email obtained by The Australian reveals Mr Gartrell told ministers and assistant ministers on July 29 to “spend up to 45 minutes” with Mr Hubbard, who was Julia Gillard’s chief of staff.

The leaked email, highlighting Mr Hubbard’s close links to the Prime Minister’s Office comes after The Australian revealed the veteran Labor strategist won contracts with the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, Department of Home Affairs and Australian Public Service Commission valued at $137,000.

In his email, Mr Gartrell told ministers and their senior staff that meeting with Mr Hubbard – who was a member of the government’s transition team – was “a priority”.

“Another step we are taking is to methodically check in with all ministers and assistant ministers on their progress settling in to ­office. To undertake this program, I have asked Ben Hubbard to meet with ministers and their chiefs of staff. Ben, as former chief of staff to PM Gillard, is known to many of you,” Mr Gartrell wrote.

“In the coming days and weeks, your office will get a request for Ben to spend up to 45 minutes with your minister to discuss their progress to date. Can I request that your facilitate this request as a priority,” he added.

Government Senate leader Penny Wong and other Labor ministers were grilled by Coalition senators during estimates hearings on Monday about the contracts awarded to Mr Hubbard’s firm Creswell Advisory and the ­independence of the Australian Public Service.

Under questioning from opposition Senate leader Simon Birmingham, Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet officials said Mr Hubbard was paid more than $49,000 to help Labor transition into government.

The amount was more than $3000 above the initial DPMC contract published by AusTender for “management advisory services” rendered between August 1 and December 15 last year.

The department officials also revealed that Mr Hubbard had compiled a secret report, which was provided to government but not released publicly.

Senator Wong said Mr Hubbard was commissioned following his previous work for the Australian Public Service Commission, alongside former prime minister John Howard’s principal private secretary Tony Nutt and former New Zealand prime minister John Key’s chief of staff Wayne Eagleson. Senator Wong argued the appointment was not “partisan”.

DPMC officials said Mr Hubbard was personally approached for his services in July last year to provide “short-term consultancy to ensure the fundamentals were in place for ministers across the executive”. The officials confirmed his contract was limited tender and his firm was the sole supplier involved in the process.

Responding to questions from The Australian, the Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the exact nature of Mr Hubbard’s role and the content of ministerial meetings. Mr Albanese’s spokesman also refused to answer questions about Mr Hubbard’s “strategic advisory” role at the Department of Home Affairs.

Mr Hubbard has close ­relationships with senior federal cabinet ministers, who he worked closely with as Ms Gillard’s top adviser before she was ousted by Kevin Rudd in 2013.

The former Victoria Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority chief is considered a go-to for the Victorian Labor government. He sits on the board of the Suburban Rail Loop Authority, is chair of YMCA, and is a distinguished visiting scholar at the University of Melbourne School of Government.

Mr Hubbard declined to comment for this story.