James Riley
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 19:58
Business IT -
Networking
Page 1 of 2
The NBN Company has defended its recruitment practices in the wake of the Mike Kaiser 'Labor Mates' row that erupted from a Senate hearing yesterday, and says its employment processess are based on "merit not mates."
NBN Co chief human resource officer Kevin Brown said in a statement issued this afternoon that the Kaiser appointment occurred after a job description had been developed, and that several candidates had been considered for the role.
Kaiser, a former chief of staff to Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, was appointed to the $450,000-a-year role of as the company's government relations and external affairs executive late last year.
The appointment drew immediate criticism from Opposition Senators suspicious of Kaiser's deep links with the Labor party. He was also a chief of staff to former NSW Premier Morris Iemma, and was briefly in the Queensland Parliament as a Labor Member.
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy yesterday revealed during the Senate hearing yesterday that he had suggested to the NBN Co that they look at Kaiser as a potential employee, generating a storm of protest from the Opposition.
Shadow communications spokesman Tony Smith said the Ministers involvement "raised serious questions about the NBN Co’s employment and management processes," and that it was not the role of a Government Minister to "suggest potential jobs for Labor mates."
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