Government media and ministerial advisers awarded thousands in salary raises

SA’s spin doctors, speech writers and political staffers are earning mega bucks – and some just received huge pay increases. See who earns what here.

Spin doctors for the Malinauskas Government are earning up to $185,000, it can be revealed, as the Opposition attacks their growing numbers and expense.

The Liberals have analysed publicly available data to calculate the mounting costs of media and ministerial advisers in the offices of the Premier and ministers.

While most recent pay rises have been confined to 1.5 per cent, Mr Malinauskas’s director of media and communications Adam Todd has received a 5.1 per cent bump to $185,000.

Chief media adviser to the Premier Nick Harmsen earns $178,641.

Several other senior media advisers to ministers, Tom and Jemma Richardson and Jen Salter, are on $145,000.

Adam Todd – Director of Media & Communications, Premier of South Australia

Jen Salter, senior media adviser to the Premier

The Premier’s chief of staff John Bistrovic rakes in even more at $218,878.

When the total media advisers reached 13 under the former Liberal government, it was criticised by the then Labor opposition. Labor now has 17.

In total, ministerial and media staff are costing taxpayers $13.4m a year, up 28 per cent on $10.4m last year.

The government says that is because its full team wasn’t in place at the end of last financial year, not long after it came to power.

Opposition government accountability spokeswoman Michelle Lensink said the government had the wrong priorities.

“South Australians are struggling to pay the bills in this cost of living crisis, the health system has never been in worse condition, yet Peter Malinauskas is spending $2.3m of taxpayer money on spin doctors to create photo ops for him,” she said.

“Time and time again Peter Malinauskas has been caught out for his spin over substance mantra, which includes selfies over solutions to the ramping crisis he promised every South Australian that he would fix.”

Ms Lensink said staff in the Premier’s office were now paid $5m in total annually, including a social media unit that cost almost $500,000.

Media Adviser Nick Harmsen with his wife, TV presenter Jessica Harmsen.

A government spokesman said in total there were 116 staff employed in ministerial offices, similar to the 111 and 108 in the last two years of the former Liberal government.

“It represents less than half a per cent of the total number of public service employees,’’ the spokesman said.

“There were significantly fewer staff employed in ministerial offices at the time of the 2022 report, because it was less than three months after the election and the incoming government was still recruiting.

“The way people consume media and information continues to evolve, and so too does the government’s digital communication strategy.”

The spokesman said former Liberal premier Steven Marshall had employed “at least three” office staff in social media roles.

“Unlike (Liberal leader) David Speirs, the Premier does not use taxpayers’ money for social media advertising,” he said.

“The vast majority of ministerial staff received a 1.5 per cent pay rise between 2022 and 2023.

“In contrast, David Speirs awarded some of his staff pay rises of up to 15 per cent – almost double the rate of inflation.”

Originally published as Government media and ministerial advisers awarded thousands in salary raises