Games execs don't deserve bonuses: LNP

Queensland's LNP Opposition says Commonwealth Games executives don't deserve retention bonuses totalling $600,000 because they didn't meet key targets.

Queensland's Liberal National Party opposition says five former Commonwealth Games executives don't deserve around $600,000 in bonuses, because of bungles with the event's closing ceremony and transport.

But the Labor government says the payments were locked in by the previous LNP government.

The Opposition asked Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones about the bonuses during state budget estimates hearings on Wednesday.

Ms Jones said two of the executives had already been awarded around $160,000 each, with three others being assessed.

"But clearly the expectation is the retention payments will be paid and I think they've done a very good job in delivering the largest event ever staged in Queensland," Ms Jones told reporters, following the hearings.

"My advice is that these contracts were set in stone under the LNP, now what we're looking at is how much that quantity would be."

LNP Commonwealth Games spokesperson John-Paul Langbroek said they had no problem with the bonuses in principle, but believed the executives hadn't earned them.

"No one's had to answer for the debacle we saw at the closing ceremony and no one's had to answer for the transport debacle," Mr Langbroek said.

"The retention bonus in and of itself is not an issue, our issue is that key performance indicators were supposed to be met, they weren't necessarily met."

Ms Jones also revealed during the hearings that the former Newman LNP government had sought advice on whether the games could be scrapped, but were told it would cost around a billion dollars.

However Mr Langbroek clarified that was part of efforts by the party to come up with funding for the Games after they took office from Labor in 2012.


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2 min read
Published 2 August 2018 3:34am
Source: AAP


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