Corporate Culture: Abbott's $4,300,000 Spin

The Abbott government has created a hub of 37 communication and social media specialists to monitor social media and offer strategic communications advice costing taxpayers a record of almost $4.3 million a year ($2235 per spinner a week).

Details released in Senate documents show the ‘‘Strategic Communications Branch’’ was implemented late last year, where the 37 staff are expected to oversee media within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, including Indigenous Affairs and the Office for Women. According to the documents, staff are expected to monitor social media, offer strategic communications advice and create internal newsletters graphic design support, among other duties.

A spokesman for Opposition Leader Bill Shorten slammed the number of communications staff  engaged to spin Tony Abbott’s messages.

"At a time when the Prime Minister is cutting pensions and increasing taxes and cost of living pressures, nearly 40 extra staff members have been put on to try to spin his messages. No amount of spin will convince Australians that Tony Abbott’s budget is fair." The number of staff is in contrast to the PM&C under the Labor government, which had seven communications staff during its last year.

Despite this, the government maintains it is cutting the cost of public affairs staff across all departments and says the communications staff came from other departments. "There has been no increase in the number of communications staff employed by departments," a spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said. Last month it was revealed Scott Morrison’s departments employ more than 95 communications staff and spin doctors, costing at least $8million a year.

Details released to the Senate show the departments of Immigration, Border Protection and Australian Customs have 85 permanent and 10 other staff responsible for media monitoring, internal communication and public relations.

The cost of employing the 37 staff is taken from the top brackets of public servant grades, while it includes an average  senior executive service wage.

Before the communications hub was created, there were a ‘‘small number’’ of PM&C staff engaged in speech writing and corporate communications support, the document  showed.
 ‘‘With the addition of 25 staff as a result of the machinery of government changes, a communications branch was established within PM&C,’’ the Senate documents reveal.

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