Photo: AWB managing director Andrew Lindberg was a controversial head of
the Victorian WorkCover Authority during the 1990s.
AWB supremo Andrew Lindberg quit as WorkCover chief when Steve Bracks
was elected Premier.In 1999 the then Labor state opposition accused Mr
Lindberg in Parliament of spending large amounts of the authority's money
on entertainment and travel.
Rob Hulls, then shadow WorkCover minister and now Attorney-General,
produced documents showing Mr Lindberg spent $34,646 on entertainment,
transport and accommodation, locally and overseas, while heading WorkCover
from 1992 until 1998.
It was also reported at the time that Mr Lindberg had spent more than
$100,000 on overseas and interstate trips over five years while with the
authority.
Mr Hulls told The Age at the time that Mr Lindberg lived "a
lifestyle that would make Australia's richest 200 people blush."
WCV's: Mr Hulls did nothing to make Lindberg held accountable for this?
Why Not? If this was an injured worker who had defrauded the system
they would be in court as quick as lightning! So what makes Lindberg
any different?
The besieged WorkCover chief resigned in November 1999, a
month after Steve Bracks was sworn in as Premier, citing an
inability to work with the new Government.
That was not surprising: as opposition leader, Mr Bracks had
gone after Mr Lindberg, calling for his head in July that year.
WCV's So what happened here, did Mr bracks get Mr Lindberg held
accountable for worksafes losses?, I dont think so? It all gets blown under
a big rug and forgotten!
Mr Bracks attacked Mr Lindberg for "arrogantly and quickly" dismissing a
key recommendation by a royal commission into the 1998 Longford gas
blast that a major hazards unit should be established separate to WorkCover.
Trade union leaders also condemned Mr Lindberg, saying WorkCover had
fallen apart while he was at the helm.
Leigh Hubbard, who was Victorian Trades Hall secretary at the time, was
among the chorus who welcomed his resignation.
Yesterday, Mr Hubbard described Mr Lindberg as a "divisive and dogmatic
" WorkCover leader who had failed to consult others. "Andrew was quite
schizophrenic in the way that he was quite personable on one hand then was
wanting to drive through an agenda without talking to anyone," he said.
"Granted, that that was under (Jeff) Kennett."
"He appears to have inherited this new problem with AWB and run with
it," Mr Hubbard said.
Mr Lindberg's 1999 resignation from WorkCover came a week
after the authority announced a budget blow-out of $176 million
for the previous year.
WCV's: Why wasnt Lindberg held partly responsible for this blow out?
Mr Lindberg joined AWB in 2000, taking with him a number of his
WorkCover colleagues, including director of public affairs Eileen McMahon.
Taken from: The Age
Written By: Mathew Murphy
January 20, 2006
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