REVEALED: $2.5 Million for Spin Doctors In The Demographic Ministries

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that up to $2,457,105.03 is being spent annually on 19 communications staff across the four demographic ministries. 

Among the ministries reporting their spending: 

• Ministry of Disabled People spent $549,529.03 on salaries to employ four staff paid on average $137,382. 

• Ministry for Ethnic Communities cost taxpayers up to $438,279 for three staff paid on average $146,093. 

• Ministry for Pacific Peoples salary expenditure of $568,000 has five staff paid on average $113,600. 

• Ministry for Women overall salaries of up to $901,297 to employs six staff paid on average $150,216. 

“$2.5 million is being spent on communications teams in ministries that are supposed to primarily about policy advice is totally unreasonable,” says Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley. 

“Taxpayers – with a median wage of $71,760 – will be shocked how much these behind-the-scenes Wellington spin doctors being paid.” 

“It's this sort of waste that sees the Government borrowing $75 million every day just to pay the bills. And with the demographic ministries and agencies are costing taxpayers $672.14 million each year, it’s no wonder their continued existence is being questioned.” 

“Taxpayers would barely notice if these Ministries were scrapped, it would eliminate wasteful spending and likely streamline the delivery of frontline services. Necessary functions could easily be merged into mainstream ministries.”