FOUR top Racing Queensland executives received $1.4 million in payouts after signing agreements allowing them to resign with full entitlements should Labor lose the 2012 state election.
MICHAEL MADIGAN reports for THE COURIER-MAIL that the novel workplace agreements have been under the spotlight this morning at the Queensland Racing Inquiry which has heard of the poisonous atmosphere inside Queensland Racing Limited in the dying days of the Bligh Labor Government.
Counsel Assisting James Bell, QC, has told the inquiry Malcolm Tuttle, Jamie Orchard, Paul Brennan and Shana Reid were offered new contracts in August 2011 just six months before the LNP Government came to power.
They included pay increases of around 30 per cent but along with the extra cash was a new provision.
Each was allowed to terminate their employment and receive all redundancy benefits and severance pay should the government change at the next election.
Mr Bell has calculated the financial benefit of the agreement at $553,000 for Mr Tuttle, $363,000 for Mr Orchard, $320,000 for Mr Brennan and $198,000 for Ms Reid.
"Of course what did occur was that the election was lost and the government did change and all four terminated on the Monday after the election," Mr Bell told the inquiry.
Mr Bell has spent the morning cross examining former RQL chairman Bob Bentley on why the employees would received such generous provisions.
Mr Bentley said RQL was trying to retain the employees who were valuable in implementing RQL initiatives.
"Unless they were offered incentives they would look for alternative employment," he said.
Mr Bentley said RQL employees were under extreme pressure, partly because of unpopular but necessary decisions being made.
"The atmosphere as that time was so bad that I would be surprised if anyone would come to work for Racing Queensland."
But Mr Bell suggested the right to leave after a change of government with full entitlements would act as an encouragement to resign.
And with an election looming at the time of the signing of the contracts in August 2011, an election could have been called at any time.
"Is it worth $1.4 million to keep them for a month?" he asked.
Mr Bentley agreed the workers would have had little chance of staying in their jobs if the LNP won power.
Mr Orchard, in a statement to the inquiry, said after signing the new contract he felt he had "a positive obligation to remain in my position" and felt the RQL Board had given the workers "a level of security."
But he also said there was widespread speculation aired in social media that he and other RQL workers would be sacked with the election of the LNP.
"I even received a farewell greeting card leading up to the election," he wrote.
"lt was addressed to me personally at RQL with a stamp (not postmarked).
"Inside the card was one handwritten word - 'adios'.
The inquiry continues.
STORY SOURCE: THE COURIER-MAIL - NEWS LIMITED.
