Gold Coast Commonwealth Games CEO’s $300,000 final payment a ‘done deal’

GOLD Coast’s Commonwealth Games boss Mark Peters deserves his looming “chickenfeed” six-figure retention payment and it can’t legally be undone, chairman Peter Beattie says.

GOLD Coast’s Commonwealth Games boss Mark Peters deserves his looming “chickenfeed” six-figure retention payment and it can’t legally be undone, chairman Peter Beattie says.

Despite reported threats by Games Minister Kate Jones that she was exploring a legal challenge to the estimated $300,000 retention payment, Mr Beattie poured cold water on the possibility this morning.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) chairman Peter Beattie looks on during a media call prior to the final GOLDOC Board meeting on the Gold Coast today. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Mr Beattie, chairman of the Games organising committee (GOLDOC) said the board would be returning $35-37 million in savings from the Games budget to State Government and Mr Peters’ final payment was “chickenfeed” compared to that.

He also took issue with the salary payments being described as a “bonus” instead calling them “handcuffs” to ensure top executives stayed the course.

“(Mr Peters) gets paid when he finishes and he finishes at the end of this week. He will be paid, this is over, it’s done,” Mr Beattie said today, speaking ahead of GOLDOC’s final board meeting on the Gold Coast.

Mr Beattie poured cold water on a final payment due to GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters being threatened by a legal challenge. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Mr Beattie heaped praise on Mr Peters for the job he did, the $35m in savings to be returned to Government coffers and said he was a “good man” who deserved his final payment.

“Mark Peters who worked incredibly hard … he is entitled to it, the board has approved it and he will be paid it. As I understand it there is no legal impediment to him being paid — when he finishes on Friday he will be paid that amount of money. It is over,” Mr Beattie said.

“I’m very happy to take full responsibility for this. I took the recommendations for this. It was unanimously approved by the board.”

GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters will finish up this Friday and is set to receive a final “retention” payment of $300,000 for seeing the job through: “Mark Peters who worked incredibly hard … he is entitled to it, the board has approved it and he will be paid it. As I understand it there is no legal impediment to him being paid — when he finishes on Friday he will be paid that amount of money. It is over,”. Picture: Jerad Williams

Asked how he felt about revelations at the weekend that Ms Jones explored a legal challenge to the payment, he said: “The bottom line is the Minister has to do her job to inquire what her responsibilities are. I don’t have any criticism of the Minister for doing that.

“This is not ongoing, it’s finished it’s done, he will be paid. When you see the amount of money we are returning to taxpayers, he earned it,” Mr Beattie said.

“Forget about the Government in this, the buck stops with my board and with me. I think Queenslanders, seeing the millions being returned to the Government today will understand the man has earned it, he has earned the fact he should be respected for the job he did, he did a good job.”

GOLDOC CEO Mark Peters and Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation Chairman Peter Beattie. Of Mr Peters, Mr Beattie said this morning: Picture: Jerad Williams

Mr Beattie disputed descriptions of it as a “bonus”, saying it was 10 per cent of Mr Peters’ salary that was “withheld” each year to be paid out on completion.

“Retention payments’’ for Mr Peters and senior colleagues were introduced in 2013-14 by the GOLDOC board and rubber-stamped by the then LNP Newman Government in a move aimed at stopping key executives from leaving the organisation before the Games finished.