Come clean over Metronet’s army of spin doctors: opposition

The West Australian opposition has demanded the government divulge how much the “army of spin doctors” spruiking its $12 billion flagship Metronet project is costing taxpayers amid revelations staff are being seconded from other agencies.

The Public Transport Authority lifted the lid on the taxpayer-funded team working behind the scenes on Wednesday following questions from a budget estimates committee.

The size of the communications team was laid bare during a committee meeting on Wednesday.Credit: Composite image: Cameron Myles.

The hearing was told the statutory authority overseeing public transport has a communications team of up to 25 people, with a further eight working for Metronet.

As media organisations across the state continue to shrink under the weight of a weak advertising market and contracting audiences, the hearing was advised the number of government media minders had remained largely unchanged.

But upon further questioning by Liberal MLC Nick Goiran, a spokesperson for the PTA revealed Metronet’s dedicated office had a “small team” of its own comprised of staff seconded from both the authority and the Department of Transport.

The committee was told it had as many as eight internal communications staff on the books to respond to media enquiries and run external communications on the state’s mammoth road and rail infrastructure program, with up to six additional staff seconded from the department.

The PTA was unable to provide details of the cost of the team.

Following further inquiries from WAtoday, a Metronet spokesperson revealed the team had between 11 and 16 roles over the past financial year employed through a combination of PTA and DoT positions.

The spokesperson said the size of the team fluctuated based on individual project lifecycles and insisted the office was temporary.

“This team works to support the state government’s major rail infrastructure projects by engaging and informing impacted communities across Perth, through multiple communications channels including community forums, social media, direct mail correspondence including works notices and responding to community enquiries,” the spokesperson said.

“With six significant and complex rail infrastructure projects underway, impacting large areas of the Perth metropolitan area directly, diverse, innovative and inclusive communications and engagement activities are required.

“Staff are therefore employed through either PTA or DoT as statutory entities with fixed term positions funded through the Metronet program budget.”

A PTA spokesperson later clarified that there were 23 full-time staff at the PTA responsible for corporate communications including projects, marketing and operations.

But this figure did not include employees now on contracts in the Metronet communications team.

Opposition leader Shane Love said the public deserved transparency and fiscal responsibility from the government and blasted what he described as a “Department of Spin”.

Love called on Premier Roger Cook and Transport Minister Rita Saffioti to disclose what the “army of spin doctors” was costing taxpayers for a project with timeline and cost blowouts.

“What we’re seeing from the Cook Labor government is an appalling misuse of taxpayer dollars, creating a bloated ‘Department of Spin’ within Metronet and the Public Transport Authority by employing over 30 communications staff across the two agencies,” he said.

“It is beyond farcical that, on the very day Metronet’s Mandurah Line left commuters stranded for hours, wasteful spending on an overblown communications team was exposed.

“Commuters need reliable service—not public servants tinkering with colour palettes.

“The sheer extravagance of this project’s promotion is insulting.

“Hardworking Western Australians are right to ask: why is so much public money being spent on Metronet propaganda and gimmicks instead of essential services?

“This is taxpayer money that could be better spent addressing genuine needs across the state — not on spin and self-promotion for a project that fails to stay on track and keep to timetables.”

The PTA’s annual report confirmed it spent a further $3.3 million over the course of the financial year engaging external media advertising agencies.

The opposition has long criticised WA Labor’s major public transport plan, which comprises more than 70 kilometres of rail and 23 new train stations.

The total capital cost of the program WA Labor took to the 2017 election is approaching $13 billion, a figure which has climbed significantly amid cost escalations and an expanded project scope.

WA Labor embarked on a shakeup of the public sector when it came to power, which it said would amalgamate and abolish government departments to eliminate waste and duplication and create efficiencies.

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