Spending squeeze hits outside advisers - The Australian

THE Gillard government has slashed spending on outside policy advisers, as part of an unprecedented squeeze on senior public servants to repair Labor's fiscal position.

Analysis by The Australian has found that commonwealth departments and agencies spent $417 million on consultants in 2011-12, an annual decrease of 5.7 per cent, as Canberra's bureaucracy-wide efficiency drive also hit travel, printing, training and recruitment expenses.