Numbers of Ministerial Staff – Commonwealth, States and Territories – As at November 2018

Numbers of Ministerial staff at the Commonwealth and each of the states and territories drawn from the most recent, most authoritative source publicly available

Numbers reflect what is reported as ministerial staff in each jurisdiction: so if personal support staff, such as administrative assistants or drivers, have been reported, these are included in the figures below).

Number of Ministers and Office Holders are those numbers reported against the most recent staff numbers, where available.

Commonwealth: 30 Ministers, 12 Assistant Ministers (Parliamentary Secretaries) and 5 senior office holders (Whip, two Chairs and 2 Special Envoys)

447 positions (As at 1 October 2018 – Tabled Schedule at Finance Estimates)

447  (As at 1 February 2018 – Tabled Schedule at Finance Estimates)

(425 at 1 April 2016 – Tabled Schedule at Finance Estimates)

420 (As at 1 May 2012 – Tabled Schedule at Finance Estimates)

Number in Prime Minister’s Office – 52 (53 in 2016); Deputy Prime Minister – 18 (19 in 2016)

New South Wales: 23 Ministers

209 positions (As at 30 June 2018)

203.4 (As at 30 June 2017)

(204.9 at 30 June 2016)

185.27 (As at 29 June 2012)

Number in Premier’s Office – 29.6 (27.9 in 2016); Deputy Premier’s Office – 13 (13 in 2016).

Victoria: 22 Ministers and Office Holders

258 positions (As at May 2018, based on an FOI by The Australian newspaper)

Previous: 258 (As reported by the Herald Sun, based on an FOI application, at 3 December 2015)

126 (as at 5 April 2011)

Number in Premier’s Office: 64; Deputy Premier’s Office: 10

Queensland: 18 Ministers

217 positions (As at 30 June 2018)

210 (As at December 2017)

203 (As at 31 March 2016 )

212 (As at 30 June 2012)

Number in Premier’s Office – 34 (35 in 2016); Deputy Premier’s Office – 17 (16 in 2016)

South Australia: 14 Ministers

75.6 positions (As at 2 August 2018)

101.7 (As at 22 June 2017)

(99.4 FTE at 12 November 2015)

107 (as at 2 July 2012)

Number in Premier’s Office – 31.8 (40 in 2015); Deputy Premier’s Office – 3 (5 in 2015)

The South Australian numbers might be treated with some scepticism given media reports of FOI applications revealing 284 staff in 2015)

Western Australia: 17 Ministers

222.53 positions (As at 26 July 2018)

219.3 (As at 30 November 2017)

(216.5 at 21 April 2016)

220.8 (as at 26 April 2012)

Number in Premier’s Office – 20.8 (24.5 in 2016); Deputy Premier’s Office – 14 (14 in 2016)

Tasmania: 13 Ministers and Office Holders

113.5 positions (As at 31 August 2018)

94.9 (As at 1 March 2018)

(80.8 at 1 March 2016)

99 (As at 7 September 2011)

Number in Premier’s Office 16.9 (12.8 in 2016); Deputy Premier’s Office 8.9 (8.2 in 2016)

Australian Capital Territory: 7 Ministers

45.2 positions (as at 30 June 2018)

54 (in 2017-18 Budget)

(55 in 2015-16 according to 2017-18 Budget Paper)

34.4 (as at 30 June 2012)

Northern Territory: 9 Ministers (at 2014)

78.34 FTE as at 26 March 2014

Total Reported Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministerial Staffers (As at 15 November 2018 or the nearest reporting date for the respective jurisdiction):

1666.17 positions (1219.17 in the states and territories)

(2016: 1614.94 with 1194.94 in the states and territories)

2011-12: 1482.81 (1062.81 in the states and territories)