John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a personal explanation as I claim to have been misrepresented.

Leave granted.

I have had the opportunity to view a Twitter blog, which purports to be my own personal Twitter blog. The address for this site is: http://twitter.com/senjohnfaulkner. The description on the twitter blog states that the owner’s name is John Faulkner. The biographical description states, ‘A senator for New South Wales with accountable representation since 1989, Minister for Defence, Vice President of the Executive Council.’

For the purposes of the record, I wish to state that I do not have a Twitter account. I can also confirm for the Senate for those who might be interested that I do not have a personal Facebook account either.

Mathias Cormann (WA, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment Participation, Apprenticeships and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Are you sure?

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of that I am certain. I seek leave to make a further personal explanation.

Leave granted.

On 15 April this year News Limited newspapers ran an item on turnover in ministerial staff offices in this government. In a graphic alongside the article it stated that I had lost some 50 per cent of my staff. The journalist claimed that I had allegedly lost eight staff because I was ‘a tough minister’. The journalist, Mr Lewis, stated that he had calculated the turnover in staff by tracking changes in personnel in various internal phonebooks over 2008 to 2010. He did not include the departure of departmental liaison officers but did include departures in electorate office staff.

I want to say very clearly that there are flaws in Mr Lewis’ methodology. It failed to take into account transitional temporary positions supplied by departments and internal shifts between ministers’ offices. After the election, temporary staff provided by departments remained on deck for weeks or even months while permanent positions were filled. Since my own portfolio changed in June 2009 from Special Minister of State and Cabinet Secretary to Minister for Defence such temporary positions were factored in twice. This would also have occurred to the staffing component of perhaps some of my other colleagues but I cannot speak on their behalf.

I just want to place the facts on record in this personal explanation: 33 people, permanent and temporary, have worked for me as Special Minister of State or Minister for Defence. Two were ADCs and seven were temporary staff supplied by the respective department. So I have had 24 staff work on a permanent basis—that is, staff employed under the MOP(S) Act. After becoming defence minister two left and four others went to other offices in the building, rather than leave the service of the Rudd government. Two of those in fact went to the Prime Minister’s office. So the portfolio change accounted for six staff changes.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I took two of them.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You did indeed, Senator Ludwig. I did not mention that but it is true because you took over my previous responsibilities. That is six out of 24—25 per cent. On the other hand, my staffing component has increased from 13 to 18, and I am including the defence ADC in that.

I do not want to be misunderstood in this personal explanation. I think it is the job of the media to probe these issues, as I and my former colleague, former Senator Robert Ray, did for many years in Senate estimates. It is an important accountability mechanism to ensure that offices do not get bloated with political operatives, extra departmental liaison officers or the like. But I do say this: to jump to false conclusions, present speculation as fact and not acknowledge the spills that occur during portfolio changes is not very good form. I do not think it presents the full picture.

Like all my colleagues, I am grateful to all the people who have worked as ministerial staff, present and past, and I would obviously acknowledge that working for a minister is hard, demanding and not everybody’s cup of tea. It is also a public service which progresses our nation and, for some, it is very rewarding. For the record, I have employed 24 permanent staff over 18 months. I have had six staff changes; four of whom went to work in other offices in a change of portfolio. I would calculate the staff turnover at 25 per cent, not 50 per cent—and two happily went to work for the Prime Minister.

Joe Ludwig (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Manager of Government Business in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Two came to me.

John Faulkner (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Vice-President of the Executive Council) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

And two apparently went to Senator Ludwig as well. I just want to place the full story on the record for the benefit of anybody who might be listening.