Big bonus payments for Hydro’s executives
Hard to swallow when Government can only find $125 for selected households
Businesses will be scratching their heads in the midst of gas contract uncertainty
The Liberal Government would obviously prefer to talk about the $125 energy bonus for some Tasmanian households, than the hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of bonuses going into the pockets of Hydro executives.
Shadow Energy Scott Bacon said Tasmanians will find some of the bonuses hard to swallow.
“The new Energy Minister Guy Barnett needs to justify why these payments are fair, when pensioners are only receiving $125 per household,” Mr Bacon said.
“Tasmanians who understand taxpayers forked out around $180 million for the energy crisis will be asking if bonus payments are appropriate.
“A sixteen per cent pay increase for a CEO is generous. $607,000 is a lot of money to pay anyone.
“The dams might be half full again but the flow-on effects of the crisis are still being felt, especially by major employers.
“Great uncertainty remains over critical gas contracts.
“I’m sure our biggest employers would have preferred to see the gas contracts signed by Hydro before executive bonus payments.
“It’s frustrating that we know the size of bonuses that Hydro executives are paying themselves but not the amount the business was able to recoup from Basslink following the cable failure.
“And independent energy security reports, from both the parliament and the Government’s own taskforce, have confirmed the Tamar Valley Power Station is critical to Tasmania.
“Given that the Minister, Treasurer and Hydro wanted to sell it less than two years ago, it’s difficult for me to be comfortable about big performance bonus payments.”
Scott Bacon MP Shadow Energy Minister
