WHAT WAS CLAIMED
The government is paying the national fuel supply co-ordinator the equivalent of $1 million per year, making it the highest-paid public service role.
OUR VERDICT
False. The co-ordinator is being paid $233,676 for a three-month contract and even when annualised she isn't the highest-paid public servant.
AAP FACTCHECK - A Liberal senator claims the government is "forking out a million dollars" for its new fuel supply taskforce co-ordinator, making it Australia's highest-paid public service role, but that's not right.
The co-ordinator is being paid $233,676 for around three months of work and even when converted to an annualised figure, it doesn't make her the highest-paid public servant.
NSW senator Dave Sharma made the claims in a widely shared May 27 social media video in which he said he had "discovered" who Australia's highest-paid public servant was.
"This person gets paid more than the chief of the defence force, more than the secretary of the Treasury, more even than the chief justice of the High Court of Australia," he said in the video.
The video then cuts to a May 25 senate estimates exchange in which he asks government officials what the total remuneration for the role is.
An official answers that the contract is worth $233,676 for the period from March 23 to June 30.
"That's basically $1 million a year, annualised, right?" Senator Sharma responds.
The official agrees, saying: "Yes, senator." The video then cuts back to Senator Sharma speaking to camera.
"So there you have it. Labor has grown the public service by 44,000 people, they've increased the public service wage bill by $8 billion a year, yet that's still not enough.
"Here they are forking out a million dollars for yet another public service position."
He made similar claims during an interview with 2GB, but softened his language, suggesting the annualised salary was "close to a million" (timestamp 1 minute 23 seconds) and that she would be "one of the highest paid public service roles" (timestamp 1:39).
When asked for evidence, his office pointed AAP FactCheck to an AusTender record detailing the co-ordinator's contract and a transcript of the senate estimates exchange.
The Albanese government appointed former Australian Energy Regulator CEO Anthea Harris to the role in March in response to global fuel supply shortages and rising domestic petrol prices.
The AusTender record confirms her contract is worth $233,676 for the period from March 23 to June 30.
A Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) spokesperson told AAP FactCheck the contract includes all remuneration, including superannuation.
It covers 100 calendar days from March 23 to June 30 - though a government official said in senate estimates the contract may be extended "if we feel that's necessary".
The daily pay rate is therefore $2,336.76, and the annualised rate calculated over 365 days is $852,917.
David Bond, a public finance expert at UNSW, agreed that annualising the contract would result in a salary between $847,076 and $852,917, depending on whether the calculation was based on calendar days or only weekdays.
"There's a fair bit of rounding up going on to get to $1 million," Dr Bond told AAP FactCheck.
Ms Harris additionally holds a government role as the independent reviewer of the Water Act Review, a role she was appointed to on March 5, 2026.
However, under questioning from Senator Sharma in senate estimates, she said she had "very minimal involvement" in that role and was "working full-time as the taskforce co-ordinator".
A DPMC official told Senator Sharma that Ms Harris was "not undertaking any work on that [Water Act Review] while the fuel taskforce is in full swing".
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) told AAP FactCheck that Ms Harris is paid a daily rate of $2,750 for her work as the reviewer of the Water Act, excluding Goods and Services Tax (GST).
That work must be completed between February 28, 2026 and February 28, 2027.
However, DCCEEW confirmed she is not paid concurrently for her role as the reviewer of the Water Act and the National Fuel Supply co-ordinator.
Ms Harris has only worked six days as the reviewer of the Water Act to date, all of which were prior to her appointment as fuel co-ordinator in March.
Contrary to Senator Sharma's claim, several senior public servants are paid more than the fuel supply taskforce co-ordinator's annualised maximum of $852,917.
Chief of the Defence Force David Johnston, who Senator Sharma specifically referenced in his video, received a total financial remuneration package worth $1.17 million in 2024/25, according to the Department of Defence's annual report (p351).
The Treasury secretary, also mentioned by the senator in the video, is also paid more than the fuel supply taskforce co-ordinator.
The Treasury's 2024/25 annual report includes remuneration for two departmental chiefs because former secretary Steven Kennedy left the role before the end of the financial year to become DPMC secretary.
Despite not completing the full year, Dr Kennedy's remuneration totalled $974,110 including superannuation, long service leave and other benefits, according to the annual report (p117).
Glyn Davis, who served as DPMC secretary for most of 2024/25 before being replaced by Dr Kennedy, received a total remuneration package worth $997,973, according to the department's 2024/25 annual report (p89).
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade secretary Jan Adams received a financial remuneration package valued at $1.03m in the same year, according to the department's 2024/25 annual report (p211).
Some executives in corporate public sector roles are paid even more, though these positions aren't typically considered part of the core public service.
For example, Paul Graham, the chief executive of Australia Post, received total remuneration of $3.3 million in 2024/25, according to the company's annual report (p114).
Australia Post is a corporate Commonwealth entity wholly owned by the Australian government and does not receive taxpayer funding.
National Broadband Network (NBN) chief executive Ellie Sweeney received a total remuneration package of $1.92 million in 2024/25, according to the company's annual report (p135).
NBN Co is also a corporate entity wholly owned by the Australian government.
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