CANBERRA: AUSTRALIA Post’s chief executive was paid a total of $5.6 million in 2016, 10 times the salary of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, it has been revealed. Ahmed Fahour’s salary of $4.4 million and bonus of $1.2 million were revealed by Liberal Senator James Paterson, who released documents provided by Australia Post in response to questions from a Senate committee.
Another five executives earned between $1.8 million and $1.3 million. Mr Turnbull told reporters on Wednesday that Mr Fahour’s remuneration package was “too high” and that he had spoken to the Australia Post board chair. “This is not a decision of the government,” Mr Turnbull said. “I’ve spoken to the chairman today. I think that salary, that remuneration is too high. Now, it’s a matter for the board. I think it is too high. I know it is a big job. It is a big company. The company has been able to improve its position. “But in my view — and I say this as someone who spent most of his life in the business world before I came into politics — I think that is a very big salary for that job.”
Australia Post chairman John Stanhope claimed there was “no intention to try and hide anything”. “We’ve reported it every year as required. It did change in 2015 when the requirement was to do it by individual,” Mr Stanhope told The Australian. “We’re not trying to hide anything. We are reporting as we are required to report. The Senate asked questions on notice and we responded and gave them all the information.” The letters and parcel business had previously refused to disclose the salary of Mr Fahour, Australia’s highest paid public servant, saying there was “no public interest” in releasing the information.
