Media course $40k ‘waste’

Labor questions training for staff

A STATE government department spent more than $40,000 last year on media training for 31 employees, documents reveal.

Details of the spending were contained in a response to a question on notice submitted by Labor during state budget estimates.

The documents show that during 2021-22 the Department of State Growth paid Font PR $55,954 for marketing and communications services.

Of that, $42,650 went to media training for 31 staff.

The training was provided across eight group sessions.

The spending has been lashed by the state opposition as a waste of money, given few Tasmanian public servants are allowed to speak to the media.

“Why did the Rockliff-Ferguson government spend in excess of $42,000 to provide 31 Department of State Growth staff with media training when they are not permitted to talk to the media?” said Opposition Leader Rebecca White.

“How many of these staff have undertaken media interviews as part of their job?

“This appears to be an unnecessary and excessive use of taxpayer funds and is in tune with this government’s careless attitude to waste and poor economic management.”

Two partners of Font PR — Brad Nowland and Brad Stansfield — are former senior employees of the Liberal government.

A spokesman for the department said media training was offered by State Growth from late December 2021 as a staff learning and development opportunity because of interest expressed by a significant number of staff.

“It is designed to provide staff at a range of levels a better understanding of how the media operates and what it means for their work and how we serve the public,” the spokesman said.

“Understanding the basics of the media helps us better explain and communicate the things people need to know through, for example, the Mercury.

“Senior officials from State Growth do, where appropriate and if available, provide media interviews to provide important updates or information to the public.”

The spokesman said the training was tailored into two streams — for staff who may have to write media releases, and for senior officials who were final approvers of media materials and who may have need to undertake media interviews.

Meanwhile, State Development, Construction and Housing Minister Guy Barnett on Friday said he retained confidence in the board of the Macquarie Point Development Corporation.