[Peetwo]

Actually Gobbles...

Day 24 - You can run but you can't hide (nor is a sick note going to past muster.. )

or Senate Sausage sizzle 18 Aug 2015 - "Want some dead horse & onions with your sausage sanga?"

Airservices executives summoned for a Senate grilling  

• by: EAN HIGGINS
  
• From: The Australian
  
• August 03, 2015 12:00AM
  

Reporter
Sydney




Airservices chief executive Margaret Staib has announced her resignation. Source: Supplied {Happier & healthier days for Frau Staib}


The Senate committee investi­g­ating executive bonuses and financial management at Airservices Australia has called on two key executives to appear before it this month, ­despite their recent resignations.  

Some on the committee are understood to be considering whether subpoenas could be issued if Airservices chief executive Margaret Staib, who announced her resignation on Friday, and recently resigned chief financial officer Andrew Clark, were not in a position to ­appear voluntarily.

Airservices spokeswoman Vicki Huggins did not respond to questions regarding Ms Staib’s position, and Mr Clark declined to comment at this stage.

As reported inThe Weekend Australian, Ms Staib said she would leave because of health reasons, and her resignation becomes­ effective next Monday.

Ms Staib and other executives have been called to appear before what will either be a closed-door briefing or an open hearing before the Senate’s rural, regional affairs and transport legislation committee just more than a week later.

Following the exposes in The Australian, the committee launched an urgent investigation into the financial management of the government-owned organisation, which owns and runs the nation’s air traffic control and navigation system and airport fire and rescue services.

In June, The Australian revealed­ how Ms Staib and other senior executives received performance bonuses of up to $100,000 in a financial year where profits halved, return on equity targets were not met, key air safety performance indicators deteriorated, and employment of women in senior positions, and indigenous and disabled Australians overall, went backwards.

Appearing before the committee in Senate Estimates late last year, Ms Staib received a grilling, including over her decision to not report to police an alleged credit card fraud by a middle manager, and Airservices’ failure to get authorisation from the Senate before proceeding on major capital works expenditures.

The committee’s chairman, Liberal Bill Heffernan, said he would like Ms Staib and Mr Clark to appear on August 18.

“I think … it would be sensible for them to be called, and for them to volunteer to appear, because Airservices obviousl­y needs to be sorted out,” he said.

“If this is not achievable — and with the recent resig­nations, there may be complex­ities involved in having them appear voluntarily — then we will look at what options are open to us to have them appear.”

He did not detail what such options might entail, but it is understood some senators have canvassed whether subpoenas could be issued.

The senior Labor senator on the committee, Glenn Sterle, said he also wanted Ms Staib and Mr Clark to appear.

Ms Staib’s predecessor, Greg Russell, resigned soon after it emerged he had run up a corporate credit card bill of $243,702 between January 2007 and August 2010. Airservices defended the credit card use as acceptable for an executive whose job required him to travel internation­ally and host senior aviation officials

MTF...P2