2026-10-02
A dozen federal public servants are earning over $1 million a year, including one EL2 earning over $1.5 million, according to a government response to Greens Senator Barbara Pocock.
This week the Minister for the Public Service Senator Katy Gallagher provided a response to a Question taken on Notice, after Senator Barbara Pocock queried the government through the Senate Question on Notice process on 31 August.
The Minister said all these highly paid people work at the government’s Future Fund Management Agency.
The Greens say this raises serious questions about the government’s economic management and value for money of taxpayer dollars.
Lines attributable to Greens finance and public service spokesperson Senator Barbara Pocock:
“In a cost of living crisis, Australians are hurting. Many would be outraged to learn that a dozen public servants are earning over a million dollars and in some cases double what the Prime Minister earns.
“We’re not talking about Secretaries who run big government departments but employees. How can the government justify this?
“Senior government officials managing large departments with huge budgets and staff would be asking why lower ranking public servants are getting lottery-sized earnings.
“What kind of public service work warrants a salary of $1 million or 1.5 million dollars? Even the Prime Minister and deputy Prime Minister don’t earn this much. I think most taxpayers would be questioning whether this represents good value for money.
“The Government says it wants to rebuild the public sector yet it is slashing jobs while paying a handful of public servants millions and outsourcing work to big consultancy firms. That’s not how you rebuild the public service. The government is burning up its APS targets.”
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