The Court of Emperor Mike Lined with Gold

Wow these guys are amazing. How about some money for some paper and pencils for the kids Mike?

Spinmeisters and Politicians 1 Everybody Else 0

Is this guy out of touch of what?

From Adelaide Now

Premier Mike Rann's key advisers have been given pay rises of up to 16.8 per cent, sparking anger from nurses and other public servants.

Details of annual pay rises for policy and media advisers, minders and other staff who work in the personal offices of the Premier and his ministers were published yesterday in the South Australian Government Gazette.

At least five of Mr Rann's personal staff received significant annual pay rises. They include former chief of staff Peter Chataway, who has been promoted to a newly created position of principal adviser, government relations, on an annual salary of $180,090, a rise of 16.8 per cent, or $25,923.

Former deputy chief of staff Nick Alexandrides is promoted to chief of staff, with a 16.4 per cent pay rise, while principal media adviser Jill Bottrall also takes on the role of deputy chief of staff for an extra $11,647 a year, taking her annual salary to $141,833. Some media advisers, including the Premier's adviser, Lachlan Parker, will get an extra $6164 to receive a total of $100,395 a year.

Upper House Liberal MP Rob Lucas last night said the "massive pay increases" came as the Premier was fighting pay claims by nurses, dentists, psychiatrists and other public sector employees.

"Many other staff received increases of between 3 and 8 per cent," Mr Lucas said.

"Premier Rann needs to explain why members of his own personal staff deserved pay increases of up to 16.8 per cent for one year when he is opposing pay increases for nurses, dentists, psychiatrists and other public sector employees at significantly lower levels than 16.8 per cent per year."

Ms Bottrall said only staffers who were promoted received significant pay rises and "that's what happens when you get promoted".

"Most staff got pay increases of 3.5 per cent and those people who have gone up above that were promoted," she said.

She said the 3.5 per cent was "actually less than what we're offering the nurses".

But Mr Lucas said there was "clearly something wrong with Premier Rann's priorities". "He is now employing 84 more spin doctors and other staff in ministerial offices than the former Liberal Government in 2002," he said. "In fact, the Premier is wasting about $25 million over four years due to this explosion in staff numbers."

The pay rise for ministerial staffers came as Mr Rann last night refused to consider reducing an automatic 6.7 per cent annual pay rise for MPs. This was despite a move by Victorian Premier Steve Bracks to restrict Victorian politicians' wage rises to a similar level as inflation - more than halving their pay rise to 3.25 per cent a year.

It also came as the Australian Fair Pay Commission yesterday announced rises for almost 1.2 million battling workers of between $5.30 and $10.26 per week for those on the minimum wage.

Public Service Association general secretary Jan McMahon said: "Public servants have to go through a complex enterprise bargaining process and PSA members object to MPs and ministerial staff getting automatic increases."

Australian Nursing Federation state secretary Lee Thomas said nurses and midwives had for four months been trying to negotiate a "decent wages and conditions deal".

Nurses yesterday voted to lift elective surgery bans until Wednesday next week while the Industrial Relations Commission brokers talks with the Government.

Update: Everyone is thrilled with this.