Public Sector Executives

The Hon. S.L. GAME (14:39): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before directing a question to the Attorney-General regarding the department CEO salaries in South Australia.

Leave granted.

The Hon. S.L. GAME:The Advertiser reported on Tuesday 6 June 2023 the current salaries that heads of department within government are receiving. Educational outcomes have been declining and OECD statistics confirm that Australia has consistently declined in the quality of schooling over the last 20 years, yet the head of Education pockets $532,621 a year.

Many South Australians cannot afford to pay their power bills. Despite this, the government created a new CEO position in the office of hydrogen, which pays $560,788 per year. Ramping in this state is the worst it has ever been. Mental health cases are continuing to rise post pandemic and emergency clinics are overrun and understaffed, but the CEO of SA Health receives $653,000 a year.

My questions to the Attorney-General are: can the government explain the rise in salaries paid to their CEOs compared with the relative department's performance in the past year and, in particular, what was the decision process in creating the office of hydrogen when power prices are not under control?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:40): I thank the honourable member for her question. The honourable member has outlined some of the challenges that this state faces in various areas of government administration. One thing I don't think is that slashing salaries for people who run these very complicated departments—and, in the case of Education and Health, employing tens of thousands of South Australians—is going to get better results. In fact, I think the opposite would be true: that slashing the salaries of those who run the departments might attract candidates who may end up not performing as well.

In relation to the office of hydrogen, it was one of our key election commitments in terms of developing a hydrogen industry in South Australia. We are getting on and doing that, including having an office of hydrogen.