Immigration spin team: How many does it take to say no comment?

[boris1gary]

http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/immigration-spin-team-how-many-does-it-take...

The Immigration Department employs a 66-strong team of spin doctors, dwarfing the 39 media and communications staff employed by Prime Minister Tony Abbott and the ministers on his frontbench.

In August last year, Immigration employed 72 media staff, but the 66 officers who now work in the media unit are supported by a further 33 staff, who work on media operations and events in the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.

In 2011, the Immigration Department reportedly employed just 13 spin doctors.

Fairfax Media asked the Immigration Department to comment on its media staffing levels, but was referred to Mr Morrison's media team, which did not respond.

Details about the staffing levels were quietly tabled by the department last week in response to a series of questions posed by Labor senator Joe Ludwig during budget estimates hearings in November. The staffing figures were correct as at November 19.

The documents show Mr Morrison's office spent $29,788 on media monitoring in just over two months between September 7 and November 19.

The department spent another $11,476 on media monitoring in that period, including $9056 for transcripts of Mr Morrison's weekly Operation Sovereign Borders briefings (which he has since abandoned).

[boris1gary]

well I suppose it is job creation of a sort. But couldn't 2 spinners just take turns in saying nothing.

[spotweldersfriend]

We could do with one in South Africa at the moment:)

[silverfaun]

not as many as the 500 Gillard had to try to convince the voters that she was competent. If you are going to post something like this a bit of a comparison to what has happened in the past under labor would give it a smidgeon of cred.

  na na nana na..lol

[lakeland27]

500 indeed . i'll wager you can't back that up

[boris1gary]

---

@silverfaun wrote:

not as many as the 500 Gillard had to try to convince the voters that she was competent. If you are going to post something like this a bit of a comparison to what has happened in the past under labor would give it a smidgeon of cred.

  na na nana na..lol

---

maybe read the article for your smidgeon of cred - 2011 13 employed.

[lakeland27]

i don't mind that stuff. the left have been too nice in recent times, when fighting a sickness like the current LNP mob the gloves should be able to be removed. they wouldn;t have a hope in hades then.

[silverfaun]

if Tony Abbott took the gloves off and sunk down to the level of Labor's insulting and offensive actions they would be knocked into the next stratosphere of stupidity where they belong. Had a good laugh at that one.

[silverfaun]

Julia Gillard had a 300 to 500 media contingent for her office of the PM exclusively.

You have to do better than that because it's out there and public knoweledge.

[lakeland27]

it will take more than that, now its between 300 and 500 ? credible reference or more backpeddling .. the choice is yours.