Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

One of the problems when you are deeply engaged in other than your own portfolio’s activities is that perhaps you forget what you have done and said in the past, because it is not that long ago that a gentleman named Mr John Short was foisted on Telstra. He was in actual fact terminated by Telstra and, after the intervention of somebody with the president of the company, he was re-employed, did not have to pay back his redundancy package and was paid a minimum starting salary of $400,000. Everyone pointed the finger at Senator Minchin. What did Senator Minchin have to say? A spokesman for Senator Minchin confirmed the minister had known Mr Short for several years but would not say whether he had any role in him being rehired by Telstra. Senator Minchin has known John Short for a long time, but the company’s management policy is entirely a matter for the company. Obviously in his role as finance minister— (Time expired)