This appeared last week.
The name is Gonski – don’t come knocking
February 1, 2014
Laura Tingle Political editor
When Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane appeared in the Parliament House Blue Room to announce that, no, the government wouldn’t be giving fruit canner SPC Ardmona $25 million, they somehow felt it necessary to mention David Gonski no less than nine times.
“Coca-Cola Amatil [SPC’s parent company] is a very good business; a very, very good business,” Mr Abbott purred on Thursday.
“Its chairman is David Gonski – David Gonski AC – one of our best known business people, [who is] also the incoming chairman of one of our leading banks, [and] former chairman of the Future Fund.
“I know he won’t let those workers down.”
As one corporate executive noted, it was a “name and shame” exercise that was clearly meant to be a lesson for other companies.
Some in the government conceded it was a “bit of mischief” but insisted they would have done the same whoever was chair of the company.
But as Employment Minister Eric Abetz made clear in a speech earlier in the week, the government is in no mood to hand out assistance to the corporate sector. There is a strong view within federal cabinet that such assistance has only led business to strike soft, uncompetitive wage deals with their workforces.
Abetz linked assistance to both General Motors Holden and Toyota Australia to less than satisfactory industrial relations outcomes.
More here:
Reading this, it seems to me, with Mr Gonski becoming chairman of ANZ later this year and already being Chairman of CCA which is having more than a few troubles right now with both its local business and the Indonesian growth arm as well as the increased competition in the beer sector it is planning to enter as well as the present issues with SPC-Ardmona, that NEHTA and its fate must be way down hit mental to-do list.
The evidence he has helped Australian eHealth much during his chairmanship I struggle to find and I really think a new chairman should be carefully considered at this time. To me it also a little odd that you never hear any mention that Mr Gonski is indeed the NEHTA Chairman in the mainstream press.
David.
5 comments:
He devotes sufficient time to check his Chairman's pay has been deposited in his bank account - how much? $50,000 maybe a tad more but less than $100,00.
"David Gonski and Lynda O’Grady were paid remuneration during the year in the form of salary and
superannuation. No other directors received any remuneration from the Group."
2013 2012
$134,884 $131,210
(NEHTA Annual Report, 2013, p.41)
Looks like Herr Gonski and Ms O'Grady have CPI-indexed Board Remuneration increase arrangements at 2.8%, and ALL AT 100% Taxpayers' Expense!
With 8 Board Meetings possible and only 7 attended, did Herr Gonski only take and receive 7/8 of his eligible remuneration?
With 8 meetings possible, that's $16,860 of Taxpayer funded compensation PER MEETING for Herr Gonski and Ms O'Grady!
Assuming a 2hr NEHTA Board meeting schedule, that's $141/min on the Taxpayers' dime...
Considering the Entitlement mentality and behaviour of Herr Gonski reflected by the handout and bailout request of CCA/SPC Ardmona from the C'th and State Taxpayers, are the said Taxpayers getting any value for money at these exorbitant rates when any evidence of this fact is poorly missing as observed and stated by David Moore (and many others) on this very BLOG??
Yes, the Hon Mr Hockey, the age of entitlement is definitely over and when you deftly apply your razor and red pen to these entitlements, be sure to start culling from the very TOP DOWN, with these NEHTA-like elite sinecures providing ample opportunity to terminate these exorbitant Taxpayer Funded rorts!
None of this profligacy will come to Hockey's notice. He has far bigger problems to keep him occupied.
It would be reasonable to except the well over $1Billion in eHealth profligacy under Gonski's governance to take its well deserved place in Hockey's frying pan if he's at all serious about eliminating Government waste and removing those from power and influence directly responsible for it!
If Joe Hockey thinks Mr Gonski is pretty good value he won't touch it will he?.
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