Ministerial advisers (Australia)

Ministerial advisers in Australia are political staffers appointed to provide support and advice to government ministers.

[1] The Sydney Morning Herald has described them as "a curious, high-octane beast – little-known outside the corridors of power yet enormously influential within them".

The role ministerial advisers play in the Australian system has grown remarkably in recent decades.

Unlike regular public servants, ministerial advisers are not required to be appointed on merit, and need not be impartial when providing advice or implementing government policy.

Some critics argue that this lack of transparency has led to an erosion of democratic principles and contributes to a "culture of secrecy" within government.

Interviews with Commonwealth ministers have shown that since the claims made at the time of the children overboard scandal, most do not believe such a constitutional convention to actually exist.

[7] Most believed "children overboard" did not result in a binding precedent, and that they would not support claims of such a convention in future.