Former ALP staffer, lobbyist appointed to Tassie NBN Co

James Riley
Friday, 14 August 2009 08:01

IT Industry - Market

One of the four directors appointed yesterday to the Tasmania NBN Company board is a registered Canberra lobbyist and former ALP staffer with links to Communications Minister Stephen Conroy.

As a member of the ALP, Jody Fassina worked for federal ALP Senators for ten years between 1991 and 2001 – first for Tasmanian senator (and current Assistant Treasurer) Nick Sherry, and then for the Western Australian senator, the late Peter Cook.

Mr Fassina is an associate director of executive search and government relations specialist Profile Ray & Berndtson. The company is listed on the Australian Government Lobbyists Register, with more than a dozen clients ranging from ICT consulting multinational Accenture, contruction giant Grocon, the Macquarie Group, defence contractors and health sector interests.

Mr Fassina, who splits his working life between Tasmania and Sydney, was appointed to the Tasmania NBN Company board yesterday by Senator Conroy. He said while he was a member of the ALP while working for senators Sherry and Cook, he had not been a member for years.

“I’ve known (Senator Conroy) for a number of years and it’s a relationship I am very proud of,” Mr Fassina said. “I haven’t directly worked for him, but I would certainly consider him a friend – as I would Senator Sherry, and many other MPs.”

“I have a lot of respect and time for Stephen and I am honoured to have been selected by the Rudd Government to serve on the board.”

A spokesman for Senator Conroy said there was nothing unusual about the appointment, and that the interests of the directors had been declared before the appointments.

“All Tasmanian NBN Co Limited Board Directors have, as a matter of course, signed personal interest declarations, that have been assessed by the Commonwealth,” the spokesman said in a statement to iTWire.

During his time as an ALP staffer, Mr Fassina worked closely on the then Opposition’s Goods & Services Tax strategy. Ironically perhaps, he worked on tax and related matters with another senior ALP staffer Chris Fry, who has more recently represented Telstra’s interests to Government as a lobbyist.

“(The NBN) is a great project for the nation and its very exciting that it is starting here in Tasmnia,” Mr Fassina said.

“I am seriously thrilled to be playing a small role as one of seven directors in seeing this project brought to fruition. It will certainly make a big difference to my home state.”