According to documents published on the AusTender website, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection did have an $88,000 contract with Blue Visions Management for emotional intelligence workshops [1].
The contract was for workshops promising to give participants "insights into their unique emotional strengths and weaknesses" and provide an "emotional intelligence framework" [1].
However, the claim contains a significant inaccuracy: the workshops were for **emotional intelligence training**, not "yoga workshops." The yoga component mentioned in the article was a separate, smaller program at IP Australia (intellectual property agency), not the Immigration Department.
The claim omits several important contextual elements:
**Broader Investigation Context**: The article was part of a Fairfax Media investigation into public service training spending across multiple government agencies, not an isolated expose of the Immigration Department [1].
The article highlighted numerous agencies spending on various training programs including:
- IP Australia: $10,900 on yoga classes (subsidized, with employees paying 80% of costs) [1]
- Department of Infrastructure: $29,412 on "clear conversations training" [1]
- Geoscience Australia: $28,876 on "lean thinking, methodologies and process mapping" [1]
- Various agencies: Up to $90,000/year on "transformational leadership training" [1]
- Various agencies: Up to $45,000 on "building resilient teams" [1]
**Government Response**: The Coalition government, through Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, responded to these revelations by warning departmental secretaries that "every departmental secretary is personally responsible to ensure taxpayers' money is treated with respect" and stating the government "will not rest until any inappropriate expenditure has been eliminated" [1].
Cormann also noted they had "worked hard to cut much of the waste and duplication across Government which we inherited from Labor" [1].
**Timing and Circumstances**: The article was published in January 2015, early in the Abbott government's term (elected September 2013).
The reporting appears factual and well-sourced, citing:
- AusTender website documents (official government procurement records)
- Direct quotes from Finance Minister Mathias Cormann
- Direct quotes from IP Australia spokeswoman
- Direct quotes from Labor's Waste Watch Committee chairman Pat Conroy
The article provides a balanced presentation including both the criticisms and the government's response/commitment to reduce such spending.
**Did Labor do something similar?**
The article itself provides direct evidence of Labor government precedent.
* * * *
Finance Minister Mathias Cormann explicitly stated that the Coalition government had "worked hard to cut much of the waste and duplication across Government which we inherited from Labor" [1].
Research published in academic journals documents that emotional intelligence and emotional labor concepts "have entered the lexicon of public service" across multiple government administrations [5].
Public sector employee wellbeing programs, including training and development initiatives, are standard practice across Australian governments regardless of political party [6][7].
A 2015 study specifically examining an Australian public service workforce (which would have been established under Labor or earlier) found mindfulness-based workplace programs were already in use [6], demonstrating such programs were not unique to the Coalition.
**Comparison Assessment**: Public service training spending on professional development, leadership, and wellbeing programs is standard practice across Australian governments of all political persuasions.
The Department of Immigration and Border Protection deals with vulnerable populations including refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals in stressful situations.
Research indicates emotional intelligence training in public service improves employee engagement, leadership effectiveness, and service delivery outcomes [5][7][8].
**Scale of Spending in Context**: The $88,000 contract represents approximately 0.0002% of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection's annual budget (the department's budget was approximately $3.5-4 billion during this period).
While any expenditure deserves scrutiny, this amount is relatively modest for professional development across a large department.
**Government's Own Response**: Rather than defending the spending, the Coalition government acknowledged concerns and committed to reducing inappropriate expenditure.
Finance Minister Cormann's statement that "there is clearly more work to be done" indicates the government was receptive to criticism and actively reviewing such expenses [1].
**Partisan Framing**: The claim comes from a Labor-aligned source and highlights spending that Labor itself criticized through its "Waste Watch Committee" chaired by Pat Conroy.
However, as noted, the Finance Minister explicitly indicated similar spending existed under Labor, suggesting both parties engage in this type of professional development expenditure.
**Not Unique to Coalition**: This type of training spending is common across Australian governments.
The article itself notes the Coalition inherited such spending patterns from Labor, and research confirms emotional intelligence training is standard public service practice across administrations [5][6][7].
The claim is factually accurate regarding the $88,000 contract for emotional intelligence training at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection [1].
However, the claim contains a factual error by conflating this with "yoga workshops" (which was a separate, smaller program at a different agency) [1].
More significantly, the claim lacks critical context: this spending was part of routine professional development across multiple government agencies, the government acknowledged concerns and committed to reducing such expenditure, similar spending occurred under Labor, and emotional intelligence training serves legitimate operational purposes for immigration staff dealing with vulnerable populations.
The claim presents an isolated expenditure without the broader context of government-wide training practices or the Coalition's commitment to reducing inherited wasteful spending [1].
The claim is factually accurate regarding the $88,000 contract for emotional intelligence training at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection [1].
However, the claim contains a factual error by conflating this with "yoga workshops" (which was a separate, smaller program at a different agency) [1].
More significantly, the claim lacks critical context: this spending was part of routine professional development across multiple government agencies, the government acknowledged concerns and committed to reducing such expenditure, similar spending occurred under Labor, and emotional intelligence training serves legitimate operational purposes for immigration staff dealing with vulnerable populations.
The claim presents an isolated expenditure without the broader context of government-wide training practices or the Coalition's commitment to reducing inherited wasteful spending [1].