Australia Post boss Ahmed Fahour earned $5.6 million last year

AUSTRALIA Post has been forced to reveal its boss Ahmed Fahour earned a whopping $5.6 million, more than ten times that of the Prime Minister who said today it was too high.

AUSTRALIA Post has been forced to reveal its boss Ahmed Fahour earned a whopping $5.6 million last year, more than ten times that of the Prime Minister who said today it was too high.

“I think that salary, that remuneration is too high,” the PM said.

“I know it’s a big job, it’s a big company ... the company has been able to improve its position but my view, and I say this as someone who spent most of his life in the business world before I came into politics, I think it’s a very big salary for that job.”

A parliamentary committee has revealed the salaries of top Australia Post executives, insisting there are no compelling reasons for them to be hidden from public scrutiny.

Documents published on Tuesday showed managing director Ahmed Fahour received a $4.4 million salary and a $1.2 million bonus last financial year, committee chairman James Paterson said.

The documents — which don’t include names — show another five executives earned between $1.8 million and $1.3 million.

Australia Post Managing Director and CEO, Ahmed Fahour.

The salary is more than 10 times the $507,338 Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is paid, the ABC reports.

In a chain of correspondence since a Senate estimates hearing in October, Australia Post argued the individuals may become targets for unwarranted media attention and it may lead to brand damage for the government-owned business. It was happy to release the information confidentially, but did not want it to be released publicly.

But Senator Paterson wrote to the company on Tuesday informing them the documents would be publicly released.

.@TurnbullMalcolm says he thinks the $5.6m remuneration package of the CEO of Australia Post is too high. pic.twitter.com/ziB7zOF64K

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) 7 February 2017

Fahour’s salary is more than 10 times the $507,338 Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is paid.

“Any potential issues of personal safety and security do not appear to be compelling reasons to withhold publication,” he said.

The committee also urged Australia Post to consider ways to increase transparency about its operations and expenditure.

It noted NBN Co, another wholly-government owned business enterprise, publishes detailed information about the renumeration paid to senior executives as part of its annual report.

Senator Paterson said Mr Fahour’s salary makes him effectively the nation’s highest paid public servant.

“We think that’s not information that should be withheld from taxpayers,” he told ABC radio.