More than $500,000 in severance benefits were paid to 15 staffers who lost their jobs as a result of the cabinet reshuffle in December.
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The cost of the reshuffle was revealed after Queensland senator Joe Ludwig asked Department of Finance officials to detail the payouts during a Senate estimates hearing.
The question was taken on notice and a department official later confirmed the payments cost $578,589, despite refusing to detail the ratio of involuntary/voluntary redundancies.
"Due to the very small numbers in each office and possibility of individuals being identified, it would not be appropriate to provide this data in detail," the spokesman said.
Senator Ludwig also asked for a list of terminated staff from each ministerial office, although this was not supplied.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott's decision to "reset and refocus" the government meant Scott Morrison became Minister for Social Services and Peter Dutton replaced Mr Morrison as Immigration Minister.
At the time, the reshuffle was viewed as a move to bolster the economic foundations of the government and to prepare for a focus on family welfare in 2015.
The then defence minister, David Johnston, was replaced by Kevin Andrews after being criticised for lacklustre performances in late 2014.
In November,Senator Johnston said he wouldn't trust the government's own shipbuilding firm to "build a canoe", denting hopes that the next fleet of submarines would be made locally.
Sussan Ley, a former farmer, air traffic controller and public servant, replaced Mr Dutton in the health portfolio.
Josh Frydenberg – seen as politically close to Mr Morrison, Greg Hunt and Christopher Pyne – was promoted from the role of parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister, to Assistant Treasurer.
Simon Birmingham – the former parliamentary secretary for environment – was also promoted to Assistant Minister for Education and Training.
