❓ Premier Barnett answers a question about ministerial staffing levels, highlighting a reduction in total staff and a significant decrease in term-of-government appointments compared to the previous Labor government.
AnsweredQoN 146Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINISTERIAL
RESOURCING REPORT
146. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Premier:
Could the Premier please outline the figures in the
ministerial resourcing report tabled this morning to compare the number of
term-of-government employees and ministerial officers employed by the current
government with the number employed in the period under Labor?
RESOURCING REPORT
146. MR N.W. MORTON to the
Premier:
Could the Premier please outline the figures in the
ministerial resourcing report tabled this morning to compare the number of
term-of-government employees and ministerial officers employed by the current
government with the number employed in the period under Labor?
AnswerView source ↗
I anticipated that the opposition would ask a question about
ministerial staff positions, but it did not. Usually this attracts a lot of
attention. I want to share the information with the house. As of the latest
report dated 9 May 2013, the total number of staff across the 17 ministerial
offices is 218. That is 11 positions fewer than were in place prior to the
election. The truly interesting comparison is with the number of positions
under the long-gone and long-forgotten Labor government. There are 218
positions today and there were 246 positions under the Carpenter government
before the 2008 election. This government has reduced ministerial staffing by
29 positions, or around 12 per cent, compared with Labor. The state has grown;
it is more complex and there are more issues, yet the number of ministerial
positions is down by 29 positions, or 12 per cent, compared with the number
under Labor.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr
P.C. Tinley interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
consider a reduction of 29 positions from 2008 to now as a significant
achievement of this government, but I think what is probably more significant
is the shift in the composition of ministerial positions. Under Labor there was a heavy reliance on political
or term-of-government appointments. That has a role in our system; I am not
against the TOG appointments system. However, at the conclusion of the Labor
government there were 144
term-of-government or political appointments in ministerial offices. Today there are 77 compared with 144. That
is almost half. That is a reduction of 67 TOG positions. This government not
only has reduced the total number of ministerial staff, but also makes greater
use of permanent public servants and dramatically less use of
term-of-government or politically chosen employees. That is a reduction in TOG
positions of 67. Perhaps that is why we did not get a question from the Leader
of the Opposition.
ministerial staff positions, but it did not. Usually this attracts a lot of
attention. I want to share the information with the house. As of the latest
report dated 9 May 2013, the total number of staff across the 17 ministerial
offices is 218. That is 11 positions fewer than were in place prior to the
election. The truly interesting comparison is with the number of positions
under the long-gone and long-forgotten Labor government. There are 218
positions today and there were 246 positions under the Carpenter government
before the 2008 election. This government has reduced ministerial staffing by
29 positions, or around 12 per cent, compared with Labor. The state has grown;
it is more complex and there are more issues, yet the number of ministerial
positions is down by 29 positions, or 12 per cent, compared with the number
under Labor.
Several members interjected.
The
SPEAKER : Member for Warnbro, I formally call you to order for the first
time today.
Mr
P.C. Tinley interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Willagee, I formally call you to order for the first time today.
Mr C.J. BARNETT : I
consider a reduction of 29 positions from 2008 to now as a significant
achievement of this government, but I think what is probably more significant
is the shift in the composition of ministerial positions. Under Labor there was a heavy reliance on political
or term-of-government appointments. That has a role in our system; I am not
against the TOG appointments system. However, at the conclusion of the Labor
government there were 144
term-of-government or political appointments in ministerial offices. Today there are 77 compared with 144. That
is almost half. That is a reduction of 67 TOG positions. This government not
only has reduced the total number of ministerial staff, but also makes greater
use of permanent public servants and dramatically less use of
term-of-government or politically chosen employees. That is a reduction in TOG
positions of 67. Perhaps that is why we did not get a question from the Leader
of the Opposition.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.