Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 7:32:05 to 7:39:47
Inquiry into the termination payment for executive Mr. Stevens and the production costs for the program 'Race Around the World', including value for money assessments.
Topics: Government spending, Public service staffing
Speakers: Hugh Marks, Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Unknown Speaker, Senator Varun Ghosh, Senator Dean Smith
I'm not sure uh that I will be satisfied Mr Marks look I think we're ready to move to the next there are other matters look just quickly on Mr Stevens there was a a uh termination payment made to Mr Stevens which has been published in your annual report could you just explain the basis how much it was the basis for that termination payment and the and explain the quantum why that decision was made.
Sure Senator as you would imagine uh following Mr Stevens' resignation we have the option to ask Mr Stevens to continue to work out his to work through his notice period or for me to ask him not to work out his notice period I felt it was important given what had happened that I asked him not to work out his period not to work out his notice period and to pay him his uh contractual entitlement to do so and that's what occurred.
So that was the contractual entitlement for the duration of his fixed term contract?
There or thereabout Senator I think the payment reflected what his notice period was and uh obviously um I I felt it was important that we move forward
time we spoke.
Oh but anyone when you resign as a manager you have to decide whether you want that person continuing to work in the organisation particular in a role as senior as that
or not and Mr Marks sorry I misunderstood you I thought you were saying you didn't want him to continue in the role prior to him. Oh no Senator once he was you mean after yeah and so it was j was that just for the balance of his fixed term contract.
He would have had leave entitlements and other things as well that would have had to been paid out so it would be a combination of a number of you know and he'd been at the organisation for quite some years I don't know Ms. Samarelli if you've got 19 years so you know that there would have been substantial long service leave and other obligations all of which would have been already accrued in our profit and loss
Thank you very much.
Could you provide me with the the details of the total cost of the race around the world series and the cost of the 12th of july episode and whether or not the 12th of july episode in your opinion represents value for money for Australian taxpayers.
Sure Senator the just so you're aware the calculation of the cost of the 12th July episode assuming that's the one referring to will be an estimation based on total cost divided by the number of episodes I'm not sure that we separately cost each episode so we'll see what information is there to provide great thank you.
Thank you very much. Thank you all for your evidence here today and also for the work I know that goes into preparing for estimates and appearing here you go with the committee's thanks. Thanks for a moment just suspend for one moment while we um welcome the officers from the special broadcasting service broadcasting service I welcome um release oh yes sorry thank you for the reminder Minister that is a very