[First filed: May 01, 2009 @ 09:14]
Here’s something interesting from Zed Seselja’s office:
- “When the Treasurer was asked in the Public Accounts Committee about the salary packages of senior ACTEW employees, Ms Gallagher’s answer was that salaries were a ‘private matter for the individual’. (Standing Committee on Public Accounts- 18 March 2009).
“The Treasurer needs to say why the public can get information on the salaries of senior executives at Telstra, Pacific Brands and all other publicly listed companies but are being denied information on the salaries of senior executives in a Corporation owned by the Territory. This is taxpayers’ money, and the Treasurer has an obligation to stop hiding how it is spent.” Zed said.
“ACTEW is a Government owned company where Mr Stanhope and Ms Gallagher are the shareholders. It is extremely important the company is open and accountable for its expenditure.
Good question…
UPDATED: Katy Gallagher has gone to some lengths to explain why, legally, these numbers do not have to be disclosed:
- “Mr Seselja’s first mistake is that ACTEW is actually an unlisted public company, not a listed company and therefore the reporting requirements for remuneration are different to that of a Telstra or Pacific Brands.
“Secondly, the reporting requirements for unlisted companies are contained in the Corporations Act 2001. It is not the responsibility of the ACT Government to make up its own reporting rules or change how the Act instructs ACTEW to report.
“As I have previously advised the Public Accounts Committee, ACTEW staff are not public sector employees nor hold public offices.”
Which is not quite the same thing as explaining why these numbers should not be public.
Katy goes on to explain how TransACT is un-accountable.
These are good things?