Andrew Lindberg ran up huge debts on his taxpayer-funded
credit card when WorkCover chief. Ewin Hannan and Richard
Baker report.
WHEN Jeff Kennett was forced from power in 1999, Andrew Lindberg wasn't
far behind, well aware that incoming premier Steve Bracks wanted the
WorkCover Authority chief out.
Unhappy with the scheme's performance and the authority's assault on the
common law rights of injured workers, Labor also went after Mr Lindberg
for charging tens of thousands of dollars on a taxpayer-funded credit card.
According to the then Attorney-General, Rob Hulls Lindberg's card was used
for meals costing $950 at Rogalsky's Restaurant in South Melbourne, $800 at
Marchetti's Latin Restaurant; $400 at Florentino's; $300 at the Flower Drum
and $300 at Fringe Benefits in Canberra.
Mr Lindberg's favourite restaurant appeared to be Slattery's, where he spent
$2945 over 20 visits. Documents show he pulled the card out in Paris, Chicago,
London, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, New Jersey, San Francisco,
New Zealand and Vancouver.
His hotel stays included the Athenaeum in London, the Hilton in Chicago, the
Hyatt Regency in Chicago, the Lafayette Hotel in Boston, the Hyde Park Hotel
in New York and the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles.
In 1998, Mr Hulls said, Mr Lindberg earned $330,000, including a $100,000
bonus. While the Edinburgh-born Mr Lindberg had been appointed by the
former Kirner Labor government, he had been the WorkCover head for the
duration of the Kennett government.
Mr Bracks pulled no punches on winning office, and lambasted the
"mismanagement" of WorkCover.
Mr Lindberg went, re-emerging months later as AWB managing director on an
eventual annual salary of $800,000.
But he didn't walk alone from WorkCover, taking three senior employees with
him. "We used to call it WheatCover because so many went over," a former
WorkCover executive said yesterday.
The trio joining Mr Lindberg at AWB were WorkCover's long-serving director
of public affairs, Eileen McMahon, group general manager (operations) Jill
Gillingham, and the former manager of insurance operations, Richard Fuller.
Mr Fuller was also WorkCover's company secretary, a position he assumed at
AWB under Mr Lindberg. It was what he did in this role that has resulted in
Mr Fuller being named in the Federal Government's inquiry into AWB's
activities in Iraq.
Mr Fuller's signature was on documents tabled to the boards of AWB and AWB
International in late 2004, documents described by commissioner Terence Cole
this week as a "sham".
WCV's has a few questions:
WHEN Jeff Kennett was forced from power in 1999, Andrew Lindberg wasn't
far behind, well aware that incoming premier Steve Bracks wanted the
WorkCover Authority chief out.
Unhappy with the scheme's performance and the authority's assault on the
common law rights of injured workers, Labor also went after Mr Lindberg
for charging tens of thousands of dollars on a taxpayer-funded credit card.
According to the then Attorney-General, Rob Hulls Lindberg's card was used
for meals costing $950 at Rogalsky's Restaurant in South Melbourne, $800 at
Marchetti's Latin Restaurant; $400 at Florentino's; $300 at the Flower Drum
and $300 at Fringe Benefits in Canberra.
Mr Lindberg's favourite restaurant appeared to be Slattery's, where he spent
$2945 over 20 visits. Documents show he pulled the card out in Paris, Chicago,
London, Boston, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, New Jersey, San Francisco,
New Zealand and Vancouver.
His hotel stays included the Athenaeum in London, the Hilton in Chicago, the
Hyatt Regency in Chicago, the Lafayette Hotel in Boston, the Hyde Park Hotel
in New York and the Sunset Marquis Hotel in Los Angeles.
In 1998, Mr Hulls said, Mr Lindberg earned $330,000, including a $100,000
bonus. While the Edinburgh-born Mr Lindberg had been appointed by the
former Kirner Labor government, he had been the WorkCover head for the
duration of the Kennett government.
Mr Bracks pulled no punches on winning office, and lambasted the
"mismanagement" of WorkCover.
Mr Lindberg went, re-emerging months later as AWB managing director on an
eventual annual salary of $800,000.
But he didn't walk alone from WorkCover, taking three senior employees with
him. "We used to call it WheatCover because so many went over," a former
WorkCover executive said yesterday.
The trio joining Mr Lindberg at AWB were WorkCover's long-serving director
of public affairs, Eileen McMahon, group general manager (operations) Jill
Gillingham, and the former manager of insurance operations, Richard Fuller.
Mr Fuller was also WorkCover's company secretary, a position he assumed at
AWB under Mr Lindberg. It was what he did in this role that has resulted in
Mr Fuller being named in the Federal Government's inquiry into AWB's
activities in Iraq.
Mr Fuller's signature was on documents tabled to the boards of AWB and AWB
International in late 2004, documents described by commissioner Terence Cole
this week as a "sham".
WCV's has a few questions:
- If Mr Bracks knew about the mismanagement of Worksafe by Lindberg and Kennett then why didn't he include all injured workers in the changes he made?
- Why did he (Mr Bracks) clearly discriminate against some and not others?
- Was Mr Lindberg made to repay all of these extravagant costs?
If you can answer any of these questions then send in your reply.
Ref: The Age Newspaper.
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