$ 760,000 HANDSHAKE

TT-Line staffer leaves with a payout and car

A TT-Line senior staffer left the company with a payout of more than $760,000, including a car — all at a cost to taxpayers.

Former chief operating officer Pat Guarino’s redundancy package was revealed in government business enterprise hearings yesterday.

Mr Guarino, right, was among a number of public servants to receive golden handshakes.

A FORMER TT-Line senior staffer received a taxpayerfunded payout worth more than $700,000, including an almost $40,000 car, after his position was axed in 2017.

Former chief operating officer Pat Guarino received $761,000 – composed of 12 months’ accrued leave, $348,000 redundancy, $44,000 in lieu of notice, a $38,000 vehicle and $20,000 in superannuation – upon his departure from TT-Line in August last year.

Company chairman Mike Grainger acknowledged the payout was “large” but defended it as in line with Mr Guarino’s contract.

“Mr Guarino had been with the company for 30 years and was paid what he was entitled to, not a penny more, not a penny less,” Mr Grainger said.

In government business enterprise hearings yesterday, Opposition infrastructure spokesman David O’Byrne asked TT-Line chief executive Bernard Dwyer why a car formed part of Mr Guarino’s redundancy package.

“We had no need for the vehicle, so we let that vehicle go with him,” Mr Dwyer said.

Also yesterday, former Tas- Ports head Paul Weedon was revealed as receiving a taxpayer-funded package of $322,000 upon his retirement and former TasNetworks works and services delivery general manager Natasha Brown a payout of almost $400,000 after she left that business in April.

Mr Weedon’s payment included $134,000 in long service leave and annual leave and an $188,000 separation payment awarded because his contract should have ended in February 2020. TasPorts chairman Stephen Bradford said the money paid to Mr Weedon was in line with his contract.

Asked whether Mr Weedon was actually sacked and paid out, Mr Bradford said: “I think that is a very unreasonable way of looking at it.”

Mr O’Byrne labelled the payments outrageous.

“Today it has been revealed that all three businesses facing government business enterprise scrutiny – TT-Line, TasPorts and TasNetworks – have all farewelled executives with golden handshakes despite claiming that they had resigned or retired in their public statements,” he said.

He said Tasmanian families could never hope to see that sort of money.