NO BIG DEAL

Ex-TasTAFE boss breaks silence to defend payout

FORMER TasTAFE chief Stephen Conway has defended a $188,000 payout, as calls grow louder for his contract to be made public.

Mr Conway, left, received the controversial payment when he resigned in May after a damning Integrity Commission report.

It took his total package in 2016-17 to $496,000, despite claims of nepotism and credit card misuse made by the commission. The payout sparked outrage from teachers and governance experts when it was revealed this week in the TasTAFE annual report. Mr Conway has left the state, along with former TasTAFE deputy Lori Hocking, who also resigned in the wake of the investigation.

“What I got paid was what was in my contract so it’s pretty clear,” Mr Conway said.

In his first public comments since the Integrity Commission report was released, the former CEO would not answer questions on whether he had acted inappropriately.

“I’m not prepared to make any comment,” he told the Mercury.

“I’m a private citizen, so I’m just doing what I need to do.”

Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff has said the State Government was legally bound to make the payment.

Mr Conway, who is overseas, resigned before a code of conduct investigation could take place, Parliament heard this week.

“We do not release individual contracts, that would be inappropriate,” Mr Rockliff said.

The contract was signed under the previous government and the Labor Opposition has been among those calling for its release. UTAS corporate governance expert Tom Baxter said the refusal to release it was untenable.

“Minister Rockliff can’t blame a contract but refuse to release it,” Dr Baxter said.

“The minister did not disclose Mr Conway’s $188,000 payout until he had to table TasTAFE’s annual report.”

Dr Baxter slammed a Government decision to withhold the findings of an independent audit and the refusal of right to information requests.

The Integrity Commission found Ms Hocking, a former colleague of Mr Conway interstate, received a $55,000 firstyear salary increase and tens of thousands of dollars in benefits.

TasTAFE executives splurged $232,000 on credit cards in less than two years, its report said.

The State Government instigated a $450,000 audit into the training organisation, but backflipped on the release of its first quarterly report in September. TasTAFE chairman Nick Burrows quit in the same month, although the commission made no findings against board members.

Mr Conway declined to comment on what his future held, suggesting it would be of little interest to Tasmanians.

Ms Hocking re-emerged last month in a short-term role at Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory.