Weatherill Government gives separation payout to 76 year-old public servant

The Weatherill Government has admitted in answers provided to the Budget and Finance Committee to paying a separation package to a 76 year-old public servant.

“This is yet another example of a massive waste of taxpayers’ money at a time when Mr Weatherill is cutting pensioner concessions and closing the Repat Hospital and Emergency Departments,” said Shadow Treasurer Rob Lucas.

At the last meeting of the Committee, the following answer on Targeted Voluntary Separation Packages (TVSPs) for 2013/14 from the Department for Communities and Social Inclusion was tabled:

“The Auditor-General’s Report indicates the average cost of each TVSP in 2013/14 in DCSI was $124,000,” said Mr Lucas.

“Long-serving public servants were being paid up to about two years annual salary as an incentive to retire.

“Only Mr Weatherill and Mr Koutsantonis could believe it makes any financial sense to be paying 70 year olds up to two years’ salary to leave their jobs. No private sector employer would ever contemplate such financial madness.

“Whilst the Government announced it had introduced a new policy of forced redundancy from July last year the Budget and Finance Committee has been advised the Government still hasn’t finalised the details of the scheme to allow Departments to use the policy.

“In fact, in some Departments there are public servants who have been declared ‘surplus to requirements’ for periods of up to nine years.

“These further examples of waste and financial mismanagement come after recent revelations that Mr Weatherill had given his new Chief Executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet a $125,000 pay rise and given his former Chief Executive a five year contract at almost $200,000 for 17 hours’ work per week.

“The Liberal Party has now lodged FOI requests with all departments and agencies seeking further information on how widespread this practice is.”