TOWN HALL RICHLISTER'S SALARY HIGHER THAN FIRST FEARED
Responding to the revelation that outgoing Watercare chief
executive Raveen Jaduram’s salary reached $815,000, Auckland Ratepayers’
Alliance spokesperson Monique Poirier says:
“No wonder the Council were slamming our Town Hall Rich List
and saying it was ‘wrong’ – they were actually paying even more!”
“Judaram recently said that the ‘unnecessary’ focus on his salary was one of
the reasons for his resignation and a distraction for Watercare. But this news
of his $40,000 salary increase was inevitably going to be made public, so by
resigning when he did, he’s just avoided the extent of criticism this time
round.”
“For the Alliance though,
the issue has never really been about Auckland Council's CEOs – it’s the 80-odd
underlings taking home more than a Cabinet Minister but whom no one has ever
heard of.”
“Watercare is a perfect example, with its record of fat salaries. You could
argue it needs to pay big bucks for a top CEO and Chief Engineer. But its eight
executive team members are paid around $335,000, with three other staff paid
more than $255,000. These are the people that completely mishandled a
predictable drought and have failed to deal with the ongoing strategic water
issues – the buck stops with them, and yet ratepayers have no way of holding
them to account at election time.”
ENDS