PM defends government pay packet of TV tradie Scott Cam

The prime minister says the whopping amount of government money for 15 months of work by The Block’s high-profile tradie is “no secret”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison is unrepentant about paying TV tradie Scott Cam $345,000 for a 15-month government contract.

The celebrity builder and host of The Block earlier this year inked a deal to become the federal government’s national careers ambassador in a bid to get more young people on the tools.

Department of Employment and Skills officials told a spillover estimates hearing on Thursday Mr Cam would be paid $260,000 in this financial year and $85,000 in 2020-21. The figures exclude GST.

The prime minister insists the pay packet passes the pub test.

“Scotty Cam is a successful tradie and he can make that message very clear,” Mr Morrison told reporters on Friday.

“We made no secret about the fact that he wasn’t doing it as a volunteer and he has done this work for previous Labor governments as well.

“This is about getting young people into trades. He is a high profile person involved in the media industry and you have to meet the market.”

Scott Cam has raised his profile on reality show, The Block.

The role will see the Gold Logie winner work with the National Careers Institute, alongside government, industry, education providers, career advisors, parents and employers to improve career options.

His appointment was announced by Employment Minister Michaelia Cash in October as part of a $585.3 million package to help train highly skill and qualified workers.

But the government would not reveal his pay at the time, arguing the contract was “commercial in confidence”.

Following the revelation in estimates, Labor Senator Louise Pratt questioned whether the appointment was an attempt to “paper over and distract” from cuts to the sector.

“I guess I’m concerned that you’ve got someone like Scott Cam promoting vocational education at the same time as there are significant cuts to vocational education,” she said.

The question was quickly shut down by Senator Cash, who said Mr Cam would be a role model for others considering vocational careers.

The govenrment had previously refused to reveal the amount he would be paid.

“The appointment of Scott Cam is obviously to highlight the value of vocational education and training as an opportunity to provide an incredibly rewarding career,” she said.

Cam is a qualified carpenter who ran his own business before shooting to fame as he rode the juggernaut of TV home improvement shows.