Labor’s secret $46 million spent on expert advice slammed by Opposition: ‘outsourcing work at alarming rate’

WA taxpayers have been slugged more than $46 million in two years to pay external consultants, including for secret reports into Perth’s NRL bid, an axed Convention Centre upgrade and a road map to net zero. Opposition leader Basil Zempilas branded the bill “alarming” and questioned why some of the consultants’ work has not been released to the public, with only a one-line description, date and dollar amount included in the latest financial reports that were tabled in Parliament. “By dumping two years worth of consultants’ reports in the weeks before Christmas, the Cook Labor Government has demonstrated scant regard for the concept of transparency,” Mr Zempilas said. “The Cook Labor Government continues to outsource work at an alarming rate with two of the highest six-month consultancy expenditures since 2017 occurring in the past 18 months.” He said the rate of spending has increased under Roger Cook, with the $46m spent since July 2023 amounting to 40 per cent of the $113 million total paid out to consultants since 2017. Included in the figures was $231,990 for a 20-page Future Health Research and Innovation Fund strategy, that is available online. The Government said that report was necessary to “guide investment” of $1.8 billion over the next four years and beyond. More than $53,000 was spent on “technical accounting advice”, a year before the decision was made to dump plans to upgrade the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre amid claims it would cost $1.5b. A company run by former premier Mark McGowan’s deputy chief of staff Jo Gaines was paid $192,010 for a confidential “agency capability review”, while private advisory firm ACIL Allen’s “rapid economic benefit assessment” of a WA-based NRL team cost taxpayers $41,800. The ACIL Allen analysis, which triggered Roger Cook’s $65m deal to seal the Perth Bears NRL team, predicted a $28m annual return from creating the team. It was later revealed that return was based on unverified claims that the North Sydney Bears NRL club had membership figures of around 200,000. Only a two-page summary of the report was released. “The rapid economic benefit assessment of a WA-based NRL team has not been released due to commercial sensitivities,” a State Government spokeswoman said. The same economic consulting firm was paid more than $80,000 for a six-month review of the Infrastructure WA Act, that found the current legislation is “too prescriptive” and recommended the $100 million threshold for projects to be assessed should be increased. ACIL Allen has since been commissioned to do an independent business case for the controversial Perth Park project in Burswood, that will be used to support that project’s assessment by Infrastructure WA but has not been released to the public. Treasurer Rita Saffioti’s office didn’t respond when asked if using the same firm amounted to a conflict of interest. The Government defended the overall spending, and said the use of consultants was “common place” across other jurisdictions and all political parties and was used to help guide decision-making. “Drawing on this independent expertise leads to better informed processes for the public sector and government, and can often focus on technical aspects of services,” a Cook Government spokesman said. “Agencies are required to provide appropriate justification as to the need for consultant services.” The Government has also spent more than $4.2m on 10 consultancies to lay the groundwork for the Westport industrial hub in Kwinana, and a further $4.2m on investigations into the future of Fremantle Port. More than $2 million was spent on expert advice as the Government attempts to fulfil an election promise to buy back the 49-year lease for WA’s freight rail network - before a price was agreed. The Health Department has also forked out almost $11m, including $665,464 in July 2025 for the “planning, direction and support” of an Electronic Medical Record system first promised in 2020. “I’m not sure West Australians waiting for an ambulance, a hospital bed, elective surgery or a paediatrician appointment for their child would consider that value for money.” The Health Department has also commissioned FTI consulting to deliver a new winter ramping plan, but the Government has refused to answer Opposition questions about how much that has cost or when it will be finished. “It is well progressed. There will be more to say about it early in the new year,” Health Minister Meredith Hammat told Parliament last week. “I just make the observation that in conducting an evaluation, it is important and valuable to have independent perspectives so we can properly learn the lessons from 2025 and incorporate those into the planning for 2026.” And almost $3m has been paid to KPMG and Ad Astra Corporate Advisory for advice about the looming phase-out of Griffin coal mine near Collie by 2030. Shadow Energy Minister Steve Thomas’ attempts to find out what the two consultancy firms reported back have been repeatedly refused in Parliament. In June, he was told the reports related to “commercial matters and rehabilitation” but that the details are “confidential and commercial-in-confidence”.