Taxpayers foot obscene payouts as extent of Hydro clean out revealed

Tasmanian Labor

The true extent of taxpayer-funded payouts to already well-paid Hydro executives has finally been revealed with the government confirming former short-term CEO Evangelista Albertini received $475,000 to leave the company.

Shadow Energy Minister Dean Winter said the payout to Mr Albertini was in addition to the almost $2.4 million in golden handshakes to executives in the past year in an obscene abuse of taxpayer’s money under the Gutwein Liberal Government and Minister Guy Barnett.

“It’s taken 12 weeks – despite constant questioning – for Hydro and Mr Barnett to finally reveal this payout during Government Business Enterprise hearings today,” Mr Winter said.

“We still don’t know why Mr Albertini left Hydro in the first week of September but finally there is some clarity around how much taxpayers had to fork out to see him out the door.

“Mr Barnett has actively, wilfully hidden this outrageous figure and now we know why – he clearly didn’t want Tasmanian families struggling with the cost of living to know that they paid almost half a million dollars to an already well-paid executive to walk away.

“It’s just a disgrace that these excessive amounts are being paid out to an elite group of executives just for exiting this organisation.

“Mr Barnett must tell Tasmanians how they can possibly be justified, including one of $965,000 to an executive as he walked out the door.

“At the same time as this government and Mr Barnett shrug and allow this, more than 4,500 families are stuck on the Liberal Government’s housing waiting list and thousands more are languishing on lists waiting for elective surgery and dental work.

“Tasmanians pay the most overall on energy bills of any state.

“Mr Barnett needs to tell ordinary Tasmanians how these payouts are acceptable.”

Dean Winter MP

Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction

/Public Release. View in full here.