Chief Minister must step in regarding pay increase for stood down CIT CEO
Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee has written to the Chief Minister and the ACT Remuneration Tribunal calling for a review into the recent determination to award a 3.5 per cent pay increase to the stood down CEO of the Canberra Institute of Technology.
The recent determination by the ACT Remuneration Tribunal takes her total remuneration package to $373,061 per year, despite having been stood down in June last year following the awarding of a number of contracts, which are now the subject of an investigation by the Integrity Commission.
The allegations relate to the awarding of $8.5 million worth of contracts to a ‘complexity and system thinker’.
Ms Lee said that this pay increase awarded to the stood down CEO is not in line with community expectation and should be reviewed immediately.
“The Canberra community is extremely concerned that the stood down CEO, who has been on paid leave since July 2022, has been awarded a significant pay rise,” Ms Lee said.
“I have written to the Chief Minister and asked him to use his powers under the legislation to write to the ACT Remuneration tribunal and seek an inquiry to determine the remuneration allowances of the CEO position of the Canberra Institute of Technology as soon as possible.
“Canberra taxpayers have been footing the bill for two CEOs now for nearly 18 months and this pay rise just adds insult to injury.
Ms Lee has also asked the Chief Minister and the ACT Remuneration Tribunal to consider recent changes the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal made to revoke compensation to Secretary’s who have been similarly stood down pending an investigation or have been found to breach the ACT Public Service Code of Conduct.
“I have written to the ACT Remuneration Tribunal to consider similar safeguards that have been put in place by the Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal to ensure that ACT taxpayers do not find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
“I hope that the ACT Greens and Chief Minister will support this position and also write to the ACT Remuneration Tribunal and recommend similar changes,” Ms Lee Concluded.
