The Claim
“Paid a public relations company $97,000 for 3 weeks of work to help improve the Education Department's image, then refused to release the report that came of it.”
Original Sources Provided
✅ FACTUAL VERIFICATION
The core facts of this claim are largely accurate. In January and February 2014, the federal Department of Education engaged public relations consultants Reputation Ltd for 24 days (17 working days) at a cost of $95,000 to taxpayers [1]. This equates to approximately $5,587 per working day [1]. The department subsequently refused to release the resulting report publicly when requested [1].
The specific details come from answers to questions on notice from Senator Penny Wong (then Shadow Finance Minister) [1]. The contract was undertaken during a period when the Education Department was undergoing "machinery of government" changes that had left it as a standalone department, having previously shared resources with the Employment Department [1].
Note: The claim states $97,000, but the actual figure was $95,000 according to the Sydney Morning Herald report [1].
Missing Context
The claim omits several important contextual factors:
Departmental Restructuring Context: The engagement occurred following "machinery of government" changes that left Education as a standalone department. At the time, Education and Employment were sharing a 67-person communications team with 10 graphic designers, 14 media/speechwriting staff, and 9 event coordinators [1]. The department stated it needed specialist advice to cope with this restructuring [1].
Purpose of the Contract: According to a departmental spokesman, Reputation Ltd was engaged to undertake "a specialist communication services review and audit of the department's communication function" [1]. The report was being used "for restructuring the communication branch and to determine future communication services" [1].
Standard Government Practice: Government departments routinely engage external communications consultants for reviews and restructuring advice. While the daily rate appears high, specialist PR consultants in Australia typically charge between $3,000-$8,000 per day depending on expertise and seniority [2].
Timeframe Accuracy: The contract spanned 24 calendar days (17 working days), not quite "three weeks" as claimed, though this is a minor distinction [1].
Source Credibility Assessment
The primary source cited is the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), one of Australia's most established and reputable mainstream newspapers [1]. The article was written by Noel Towell, Education Editor for The Age/SMH, indicating professional journalism with editorial oversight [1].
The information originated from parliamentary processes - specifically answers to questions on notice from the then-Opposition (Labor) Senator Penny Wong [1]. Parliamentary questions are a legitimate and credible mechanism for extracting government information.
Assessment: SMH is generally considered a credible, mainstream media source with center-left editorial leanings. This article appears to be straight news reporting rather than opinion or advocacy. The facts presented are attributed to official parliamentary responses and departmental statements, lending credibility to the reporting.
Labor Comparison
Did Labor do something similar?
Search conducted: "Labor government media consultants communications spending 2007-2013"
Finding: While no direct equivalent to this specific PR contract was found, the Rudd and Gillard Labor governments also engaged external communications consultants and faced criticism for consultant spending. Research shows that Australian government spending on consultants nearly tripled between 1988-89 and 2016-17 (covering both Labor and Coalition governments), then tripled again to reach $3.2 billion by 2022-23 [3].
The Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee has documented that reliance on consultants increased across all governments over the past several decades, not unique to the Coalition [4]. The committee found that "over the last several decades, and particularly over the last 10 years, the Australian government has relied increasingly on consultants" [4].
Additionally, subsequent Coalition ministers also faced scrutiny for communications spending - Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's department was reported to spend over $8 million annually on communications staff and external media consultants in 2016 [5], suggesting this is systemic rather than party-specific.
Conclusion: High spending on communications consultants appears to be a bipartisan issue in Australian federal government, with both major parties engaging external PR expertise and facing criticism for such expenditure.
Balanced Perspective
Criticisms of the arrangement:
The $5,587 daily rate raised eyebrows at a time of "dwindling budgets, downsizing and redundancies across the public service" [1]. Critics could argue that a department already sharing a 67-person communications team should not need external PR advice. The refusal to release the report under FOI (Freedom of Information) adds a layer of opacity that taxpayers and opposition parties reasonably find concerning.
Legitimate justifications:
The department was undergoing significant structural changes following machinery of government reorganizations. The communications function needed restructuring as the department became standalone. According to the department, the advice was specifically for restructuring their communication branch and determining future services - specialized work that may have required external expertise [1]. The FOI refusal may have been based on standard public service exemptions for internal working documents or commercial-in-confidence material.
Comparative context:
This spending, while notable, represents a relatively small amount in the context of overall government communications expenditure. The 67-person shared communications team between two departments indicates substantial internal capacity was already being maintained. The Coalition's final year in office (2021-22) saw $563 million spent on consultants overall [6], placing this $95,000 contract in perspective as a minor instance.
Key context: This is NOT unique to the Coalition. Both Labor and Coalition governments have engaged external PR consultants and faced criticism for such spending. The broader issue of government reliance on consultants has been documented as increasing across all administrations over decades [4].
TRUE
7.0
out of 10
The claim is factually accurate in its core assertions: the Education Department did pay a PR company approximately $95,000 (not $97,000 as stated) for about three weeks of specialist communications consulting work in early 2014, and did refuse to release the resulting report. The dollar difference ($2,000) is minor and does not substantively affect the claim's accuracy.
However, the claim LACKS CONTEXT by omitting that this expenditure occurred during a legitimate departmental restructuring following machinery of government changes, and that the department had a stated need to reorganize its communications function. The framing suggests something irregular or improper, without acknowledging that government departments routinely engage external consultants for specialized reviews.
Final Score
7.0
OUT OF 10
TRUE
The claim is factually accurate in its core assertions: the Education Department did pay a PR company approximately $95,000 (not $97,000 as stated) for about three weeks of specialist communications consulting work in early 2014, and did refuse to release the resulting report. The dollar difference ($2,000) is minor and does not substantively affect the claim's accuracy.
However, the claim LACKS CONTEXT by omitting that this expenditure occurred during a legitimate departmental restructuring following machinery of government changes, and that the department had a stated need to reorganize its communications function. The framing suggests something irregular or improper, without acknowledging that government departments routinely engage external consultants for specialized reviews.
📚 SOURCES & CITATIONS (6)
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1
smh.com.au
The federal Education Department has paid consultants more than $5500-a-day for advice on managing its image.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
2
adonimedia.com.au
Public Relations plays a crucial role in shaping a company’s image & reputation & helps your business connect with your target audience.
Adoni Media -
3
uts.edu.au
Canberra has reallocated thousands of roles formerly performed by consultants and external hires to public servants.
Uts Edu -
4
aph.gov.au
Chapter 3Reliance on consultants by the Australian government3.1Over the last several decades, and particularly over the last 10 years, the Australian government has relied increasingly on consultants to undertake work for the Australian Public Service (APS).3.2During the 1980s a
Reliance on consultants by the Australian government -
5
smh.com.au
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton's army of spin doctors and communications staff is costing taxpayers more than $8 million a year.
The Sydney Morning Herald -
6
consultancy.com.au
An audit of APS spending on consulting and outsourcing has revealed the former government racked up a $20 billion bill in its final year alone, with the current government making moves to curb the ex
Consultancy Com
Rating Scale Methodology
1-3: FALSE
Factually incorrect or malicious fabrication.
4-6: PARTIAL
Some truth but context is missing or skewed.
7-9: MOSTLY TRUE
Minor technicalities or phrasing issues.
10: ACCURATE
Perfectly verified and contextually fair.
Methodology: Ratings are determined through cross-referencing official government records, independent fact-checking organizations, and primary source documents.