Rudd spends big on consultants

10 Nov 2009, 8:18 am   -   Source: AAP
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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reportedly spent $454 million on consultants in the past financial year. (AAP)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reportedly spent $454 million on consultants in the past financial year. (AAP)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reportedly spent $454 million on consultants in the past financial year.

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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has reportedly spent $454 million on consultants in the past financial year.

The figure, a five per cent increase on the money spent on consultants in the 2007-08 financial year, came as the government grappled with the fallout from the global financial crisis and the detail of the proposed emissions trading scheme.

But spending on outside advisers gave then opposition leader Kevin Rudd a line of attack on the former Howard government before the 2007 election.

The Australian newspaper analysed the spending on consultants over four years in 40 departments that generally spend $1 million a year or more on consultants.

It found that despite promises in 2007 to crack down on government spending on consultancies, the Rudd government spent $454 million in 2008-09, its first full financial year in government.

The figure is not far short of the former Howard government's record spend of $480 million on outside advisers, The Australian said.

Major firms including Boston Consulting Group, McKinsey Pacific Rim Inc, KPMG and the Allen Consulting Group have been employed to design business models, improve processes and gather data, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile the PM was heckled last night at a community cabinet meeting in Bathurst.

Elysha Hickey, a university student, declared the debate on asylum seekers had been going around in circles.

"Look Kevin, enough is enough when it comes to asylum seekers," she said, her voice cracking.

"Stop this fear-mongering."

Afterwards Ms Hickey was unrepentant.

"This debate is only going to go away when politicians change the way they talk," she told reporters.

Mr Rudd responded by returning to government policy, defending his tough but fair approach.

"It's a responsible policy in the national interest," he told the crowd of about 500.
 

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