Wednesday 24 June 2009
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Estimates Committee B (Thorp) - Part 2

EXECUTIVE STAFF SALARIES
Mr FINCH - In the present economic climate of funding and job cuts, there is of course intense interest in salaries of those who are retaining their jobs, as we saw on Monday with the Minister for Education and Skills.  So I think it is appropriate to ask what the Secretary of the department is earning and his four deputies.  If the information is already out there, that is quite okay -

Ms THORP - It is on the public record but we are happy to table that information.

Mr FINCH - If you wouldn't mind.

Ms THORP - Yes, we will table that information.

Mr FINCH - It would appear that Mr Roberts and his deputy secretary took considerable pay cuts to come to Tasmania.  What do you think the attraction was in Tasmania?  If you know, perhaps we can attract more highly-professional people to Tasmania on half their previous incomes.

Laughter.

Mr FINCH - This could open up numerous possibilities.

Ms THORP - I know Mr Roberts used to be quite a pasty-faced man.

Laughter.

Ms THORP - Now he has become outdoorsy and sporty.  We all know, as Tasmanians, what an attractive place Tasmania is to live in and I am sure they were the very qualities, plus the challenges of the job, that attracted Mr Roberts here.  I should interview him on this, shouldn't I?0

CHAIR - He might like to add something himself.

Mr ROBERTS - I would like to add something.  Money does not motivate everybody all the time, so I think that is important; the ability to influence an important agenda is another one.  I think it is an interesting point and the Department of Economic Development have actually asked me if I would be prepared to feature in one of their magazines as somebody who has left the UK and what reasons I left the UK and what I have experienced and what I have seen and I have agreed that I will do that and I think that is a worthy thing to do.

CHAIR - I heard that it was because there was no sunshine.

Mr ROBERTS - That does not have its interests but we have not had a lot of that, have we.

Laughter.

Mr WING - You may like to express some views to some senior members in the Justice department.

Laughter.

Mr ROBERTS - I thank you for the opportunity and I hope I am doing the job justice.

CHAIR - You got some high accolades earlier on in the day, as you will recall, if you want a bit of feedback about it.  Mr Finch is that the end of your line of questioning.  We will move on to the capital investment program.