Government spin engine in overdrive

By KEVIN TAYLOR

The Government has hired the equivalent of all the journalists at the Herald and TV3 into its public relations ranks since Labour took office in 1999.

And that doesn't include PR consultants.

A Weekend Herald investigation has revealed a big jump in hiring and spending by government agencies on PR, as well as the use of consultants, over the last five years.

Staff numbers in PR and communications grew in more than 40 government agencies by 48 per cent - from 197.3 full-time equivalents in 1999-00 to 293 in 2003-04, according to figures obtained under the Official Information Act.

The 96 extra staff compares with the Herald's 60 journalists and TV3's 40.

And they exclude 41.5 PR workers employed by the Ministry of Social Development, NZ Trade and Enterprise and the Tertiary Education Commission, as these agencies were set up after 1999.

That makes a total Government PR army of more than 330.

PR and communications spending also rose - from at least $29.3 million in 2000-01 to at least $44.3 million in 2003-04. Use of consultants skyrocketed 282 per cent - from just 34 five years ago to 130.

The number of public servants grew by only 12 per cent between June 1999 and June 2003.

National has jumped on the figures as further evidence that the public service is becoming bloated, but also says government agencies are getting too involved in political management work more properly left to political parties.

National MP Murray McCully said the figures showed a PR spending blowout and there was "no way" the rise could be explained by an increase in bona fide communications work. "Taxpayers are picking up the tab for a very sophisticated and extravagant information machine. This is the Government propaganda machine on steroids."

But State Services Minister Trevor Mallard said the increase told him the public service was being more open and information provided in a more professional way.

Website development and maintenance was also a far bigger part of communications than it was in 1999.

Mr Mallard said the Government had worked hard to reduce the use of consultants, but there were always exceptions, such as during restructuring or a major project.

The figures show about 10 agencies had doubled their PR and communications staff since 1999, including the Labour Department, Ministry of Health, Land Transport Safety Authority, ACC, Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and Environmental Risk Management Authority.

Answers were received from 46 agencies and some justified their increases by explaining they had bigger communications workloads requiring extra resources.

But investigative author Nicky Hager said the extra PR resources showed the dangers of an increasingly politicised public service.

Departments were controlled more than ever by their ministers, so the role of communications staff was to save their minister from embarrassment and keep information secret.

Mr Mallard rejected Mr Hager's claims.

"I think I have met the communications manager for the Ministry of Education once in five years, and I've never spoken to her outside that one meeting. So the idea she's under direct control is just nonsense."

He said the Government wanted to be open, accessible and transparent "from the smallest government agencies to the top of the Beehive".