15 April 2013

Dropping the pilot. John Mackay resigning from Actew and ActewAGL

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The Canberra Times has the bombshell news that John Mackay is quitting amidst the extraordinary scenes brought on by the under reporting of Mark Sullivans salary to run Actew Water.

When we get official statements we’ll add them in here.


UPDATE 15/04/13 16:27: Katy Gallagher and Andrew Barr’s statement is now available:

Outcomes from the meeting are detailed below:

1. Remuneration of Managing Director

The Shareholders raised concerns with the level and complexity of the remuneration package paid to the Managing Director of ACTEW. Shareholders reaffirmed their view that the Board should set the salary arrangements and that there should be rigor to support the negotiated salary. Shareholders also raised concern with the lack of transparency in the setting of executive remuneration at ACTEW and the role and appropriateness of bonuses.

2. Role for Remuneration Tribunal in setting Executive salaries at ACTEW

Shareholders requested that the Board seek the advice of the Remuneration Tribunal in setting future executive remuneration at ACTEW.

3. Improvements in transparency and reporting between ACTEW and the Shareholders

It was agreed that work will commence on improved disclosure in the Statement of Corporate Intent to ensure the highest standard of transparency and reporting between ACTEW and the community.

4. The ICRC’s draft price determination

Shareholders informed ACTEW of the ACT Government submission to the ICRC draft determination on water pricing. The ACT Government supports a price decrease on water for ACT households with a few provisos.

The ACT Government’s submission can be found here:
http://www.icrc.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/264630/Submission_23_12_April_
2013_Andrew_Barr_MLA.pdf

5. Structural Review

Shareholders will be commissioning a detailed review of the structural arrangements of ACTEW to ensure that the ACT community’s water and sewerage requirements are delivered within the most efficient and effective arrangements 13 years after the creation of ACTEW. This review will be made public on its completion.

6. Review into Governance and integrity processes

It was agreed that the Board and Shareholders will meet again to discuss the outcome of the Board’s current governance review being undertaken by PwC. The review is expected to be finalised shortly. The Shareholders encouraged the Board to make the report publicly available on its completion.

7. Resignation of Chair of ACTEW

The Chair of ACTEW, John Mackay, informed the Shareholders of his intention to resign his position as Chair on the 30th June 2013. Shareholders thanked Mr Mackay for his contribution to ACTEW.


UPDATE 15/04/13 17:42: Actew’s statement is now up:

ACTEW’s Board today held a productive meeting with our Shareholders, the Chief Minister and the Treasurer, which has helped us to take significant steps forward on the much reported issues of the last few weeks.

At this meeting ACTEW Corporation Chairman, John Mackay freely tendered his resignation.

That resignation was accepted by the Board and by our Shareholders who in turn thanked him for his outstanding contribution to the organisation over the last 15 years. That resignation is effective from the 30th of June.

John has helped to transform ACTEW, ActewAGL and TransACT into some of the most highly regarded businesses not only in the ACT, but across Australia. He has led us through some difficult times, including the bushfires which ravaged our community a decade ago, and shown us how important it is that we continue to transform the water industry across the ACT for the benefit of our customers.

We wish John well in all his future ventures, which will certainly be to the benefit of the Canberra community.

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HiddenDragon1:59 pm 17 Apr 13

Corporate memory is important, and a degree of continuity and stability is generally a good thing, but in a small, incestuous town like Canberra, continuity and stability can turn into cosiness, and not of a good kind. The fact that we have a unicameral legislature which typically produces what amounts to a fixed term dictatorship, and precious little in the way of even semi-independent scrutiny, does not help – particularly, as here, when public funds and assets are involved.

All of that said, I hope we don’t end up with some sort of holy crusade against ACTEW/AGL, in which its ability to do well the things we need it to do is unnecessarily impaired.

Focussing on the corporate governance aspects of this matter, a key change that should be made is for the Chair to not be a former executive of the entity. This is a key governance failing in this instance. How Mr Mackay was ever appointed chair, having been the former CEO, is beyond comprehension.

The two Shareholders could easily amend relevant documents (eg. Constitution or other relevant documents) to ensure that this does not happen again.

It would be good to know how Mr Sullivan (and other senior executives) felt with his immediate predecessor as the Chair overseeing his performance.

Good to see Mackay run for the door when his reputation gets tarnished.

It is possible for people to have too many key roles across the business community and the government should have taken this into account before making some of these appointments (ie. workload of individuals, diversity of ideas, etc). The old boys club that exists and perpetuates itself across some of these Boards is disgraceful.

Mackay’s appointment to the Arboretum Board might be reviewed by the government following the ACTEW/AGL issues.

Well I can assure you all that ACTEW is wasting none of your money on responding to emails from customers. Despite being told I would have an answer to a fairly simple question “within 5 working days” Ive now been waiting for 6 months. Follow up calls and emails have proven more just for jollies on their behalf than to actually respond.

dungfungus said :

Chop71 said :

pptvb said :

ACTEW is also facing scrutiny over its corporate spending after chairman John Mackay was forced to publicly defend $12,500 paid by the company, with the money going to charity, for him to act as a caddy at a golf tournament.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actew-boss-offered-to-take-pay-cut-20130402-2h3pq.html#ixzz2QVlnOmvh

I was at this event. The bidding had slowed at $7500 ( to be Brendan Jones’ caddy at the Australian Open) when he came over the top with this bid!
We were amazed at his generosity, with ACTEW’s money.

I was at a salvation army breakfast several years ago when Big John gave a speech saying how he missed several meetings where he was to discuss fund raising ideas and as a consequence decided to donate a brand new car to the Salvos. He generosity was greatly appreciated (although it was Actew who donated the car)

An example of corporate largesse on steroids, all underwritten by the ACT Ratepayers.
The following entity is shown on a ACTEW website: “ACTEW China Pty Ltd is the vehicle for holding certain China interests”. I wonder what “certain China interests” are?

It’s the Wedgewood cabinet in John’s former office

dungfungus said :

Chop71 said :

pptvb said :

ACTEW is also facing scrutiny over its corporate spending after chairman John Mackay was forced to publicly defend $12,500 paid by the company, with the money going to charity, for him to act as a caddy at a golf tournament.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actew-boss-offered-to-take-pay-cut-20130402-2h3pq.html#ixzz2QVlnOmvh

I was at this event. The bidding had slowed at $7500 ( to be Brendan Jones’ caddy at the Australian Open) when he came over the top with this bid!
We were amazed at his generosity, with ACTEW’s money.

I was at a salvation army breakfast several years ago when Big John gave a speech saying how he missed several meetings where he was to discuss fund raising ideas and as a consequence decided to donate a brand new car to the Salvos. He generosity was greatly appreciated (although it was Actew who donated the car)

An example of corporate largesse on steroids, all underwritten by the ACT Ratepayers.
The following entity is shown on a ACTEW website: “ACTEW China Pty Ltd is the vehicle for holding certain China interests”. I wonder what “certain China interests” are?

The ACTEW China is the spin-off vehicle that held ACTEW’s expansion into China, until it went bust.
http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2009/week04/1496.htm
Free cars and auctioning themselves and ‘China plans’: John and Mark are really thinking locally and looking after the ACT taxpayer.

Chop71 said :

pptvb said :

ACTEW is also facing scrutiny over its corporate spending after chairman John Mackay was forced to publicly defend $12,500 paid by the company, with the money going to charity, for him to act as a caddy at a golf tournament.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actew-boss-offered-to-take-pay-cut-20130402-2h3pq.html#ixzz2QVlnOmvh

I was at this event. The bidding had slowed at $7500 ( to be Brendan Jones’ caddy at the Australian Open) when he came over the top with this bid!
We were amazed at his generosity, with ACTEW’s money.

I was at a salvation army breakfast several years ago when Big John gave a speech saying how he missed several meetings where he was to discuss fund raising ideas and as a consequence decided to donate a brand new car to the Salvos. He generosity was greatly appreciated (although it was Actew who donated the car)

An example of corporate largesse on steroids, all underwritten by the ACT Ratepayers.
The following entity is shown on a ACTEW website: “ACTEW China Pty Ltd is the vehicle for holding certain China interests”. I wonder what “certain China interests” are?

pptvb said :

ACTEW is also facing scrutiny over its corporate spending after chairman John Mackay was forced to publicly defend $12,500 paid by the company, with the money going to charity, for him to act as a caddy at a golf tournament.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actew-boss-offered-to-take-pay-cut-20130402-2h3pq.html#ixzz2QVlnOmvh

I was at this event. The bidding had slowed at $7500 ( to be Brendan Jones’ caddy at the Australian Open) when he came over the top with this bid!
We were amazed at his generosity, with ACTEW’s money.

I was at a salvation army breakfast several years ago when Big John gave a speech saying how he missed several meetings where he was to discuss fund raising ideas and as a consequence decided to donate a brand new car to the Salvos. He generosity was greatly appreciated (although it was Actew who donated the car)

This whole affair is entirely unsurprising – it’s what happens when you take public utilities and turn them into businesses. The focus changes from providing a service to making a profit, with inevitable results.

The former ACT Treasury should have actually been on top of all this crap. However, when we have people who cannot read or write advising the ACT Government on corporate governance, then this is what we get.

MERC600 said :

I can just remember years ago in Readers Digest about a US bloke who chased his local utility company cause he was not happy with what was going on. He was eventually taken notice of and the State stepped in . Kate left it a bit late.
I reckon Actew would make a great doco , say by 4 corners.

The title of the doco could be “Canberra Inc.”
It is time for Actew/ActewAGL to reveal all. Things like who gets special, concessional electricity pricing for the “pet” projects and the methodology used to determine sponsorship payments.
I hope Noel Towell from the CT is as hard on Actew/AGL as he has been investigating other Canberra organisations. Don’t expect any real action from the Government as they won’t want this matter to proceed any further because they may have to share some accountability.

pptvb said :

ACTEW is also facing scrutiny over its corporate spending after chairman John Mackay was forced to publicly defend $12,500 paid by the company, with the money going to charity, for him to act as a caddy at a golf tournament.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actew-boss-offered-to-take-pay-cut-20130402-2h3pq.html#ixzz2QVlnOmvh

I was at this event. The bidding had slowed at $7500 ( to be Brendan Jones’ caddy at the Australian Open) when he came over the top with this bid!
We were amazed at his generosity, with ACTEW’s money.

What is it about the magic number 12,000-something in this town?

Kate Jackson fudged 12 000+ records at Canberra Hospital, and now we hear that John MacKay’s spent $12 000+ of taxpayers’ money on being some golfer’s shaft polisher for a day!

Isn’t it time for Actew/ActewAGL (what-e-vah!) to get transparent about their expenditure sponsoring the Centenary? How much out of our electricity and gas bills is going on those obnoxiously luxe hardcopy massive programs still being given away at IGA – that the Centenary – or, more like, its sponsors – have paid $10, $15 a copy for? As C100’s MAIN sponsor (under just what pressure, one wonders) isn’t it time they coughed up some information about what THEY are spending OUR money on – in the light of these relevations of largesse and financial waste?

I can just remember years ago in Readers Digest about a US bloke who chased his local utility company cause he was not happy with what was going on. He was eventually taken notice of and the State stepped in . Kate left it a bit late.
I reckon Actew would make a great doco , say by 4 corners.

dungfungus said :

Most subjective statement I have ever heard.

What else would you expect from a politician?

“John has helped to transform ACTEW, ActewAGL and TransACT into some of the most highly regarded businesses not only in the ACT, but across Australia. He has led us through some difficult times, including the bushfires which ravaged our community a decade ago, and shown us how important it is that we continue to transform the water industry across the ACT for the benefit of our customers”.

Most subjective statement I have ever heard.

ACTEW is also facing scrutiny over its corporate spending after chairman John Mackay was forced to publicly defend $12,500 paid by the company, with the money going to charity, for him to act as a caddy at a golf tournament.

Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/actew-boss-offered-to-take-pay-cut-20130402-2h3pq.html#ixzz2QVlnOmvh

I was at this event. The bidding had slowed at $7500 ( to be Brendan Jones’ caddy at the Australian Open) when he came over the top with this bid!
We were amazed at his generosity, with ACTEW’s money.

A press conference has been called for 4pm.

Now with Katy Gallagher and Andrew Barr’s statement.

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