Premier Peter Malinauskas’ spin doctors and advisers cost more than $15m a year

The salaries of spin doctors and advisers in the Malinauskas Government machine have surged past $15m, with the Premier’s highest paid adviser earning more than $230,000. See the list.

South Australia's top earning ministerial advisers can be revealed.

The salaries of spin doctors and advisers in the Malinauskas Government machine have surged past $15m, with the Premier’s highest paid adviser earning more than $230,000 following the latest round of pay increases.

Most media and ministerial advisers have received a 3 per cent increase to their salaries, according to figures published in the Government Gazette, with the Premier’s chief of staff John Bistrovic the highest earner with a $231,982 base pay packet.

The increase is above the current inflation rate of 2.1 per cent.

Chiefs of staff in other ministerial offices earn $180,872 a year, while senior media advisers take home $153,787 a year and senior ministerial advisers are on $149,220.

The state government’s director of media and communications, Adam Todd, is the second highest paid staffer, taking home $196,076 a year, followed by the Premier’s deputy chiefs of staff Cheyne Rich and Sonia Romeo, and chief media adviser Nick Harmsen, who are all on $189,337.

Most government advisers have their mobile phone costs covered, have access to a car park and are reimbursed $30 a month for home internet.

According to the latest figures, there are now 111.3 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff employed in ministerial offices, up from 106.3 in June 2024.

JUNE 30, 2024: Premier Peter Malinauskas’s media adviser Adam Todd, left, earns $196k a year. Picture: Brenton Edwards

That’s resulted in an 8 per cent increase in the total salaries, from $14.5m in 2024 to $15.7m.

The latest salary figures were savaged by Deputy Opposition Leader Josh Teague who claimed they showed the government was spending more than $3m on media advisers and spin doctors alone – more than double the entire staffing expenditure of the Opposition Leader’s office.

“The irony won’t be lost on South Australians that, just days after the government bans political donations, the first thing they do is turn around and hire yet another, highly paid spin doctor to sell its message,” Mr Teague said.

“This is a government that’s obsessed with controlling its image and controlling what South Australians hear, which should send a chill down every taxpayer’s spine.

“People are in real pain. They are struggling day to day, and it’s a slap in the face for them to see a government that appears to be hell bent on spending ever more money spinning its story, and yet not achieving better outcomes for South Australians.”

John Bistrovic is the Premier’s chief of staff. Picture: Facebook

Mr Teague also pointed to an advertisement for a new advertising strategy director for the state government’s new “Government Advertising and Insights Hub” which coordinates advertising for more than 30 state government agencies.

However a state government spokesman said the Opposition was also hiring, with two roles currently being advertised.

“The only party hiring more spin doctors at the moment is the Liberal Party, which is currently advertising two roles on Seek,” he said.

“Not only that – Mr Tarzia has chosen to pay his own senior media adviser 10 per cent more than their predecessor. He’s also handed his policy director Anna Finizio a similar bump to her taxpayer-funded salary, just as she campaigns for a seat in Parliament.”

Premier’s deputy chief of staff Sonia Romeo.

The spokesman said the majority of ministerial offices had fewer than five ministerial staff and the government was “focused on ensuring ministerial offices only employ the staff they need to deliver on our plan for the people of South Australia”.

The Government Gazette shows that Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia has just 7.8 FTE ministerial staff, headed up by chief of staff Aric Pierce, who’s on a base salary of $170,000. He took up the role last September following the resignation of former leader David Speirs.

Aric Pierce is also on a pretty penny.

Under Mr Speirs, the Opposition Leader’s office employed 10.7 FTEs.

Mr Tarzia’s office is currently recruiting for a senior communications adviser to “lead high-level communication planning and execution across all channels”, offering up to $120,000 a year. It is offering up to $85,000 for a content creator role that’s currently advertised.

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas’ spin doctors and advisers cost more than $15m a year