‘None of your business’: Scott Cam defends taxpayer-funded salary

Scott Cam was on the defensive when pressed about his whopping taxpayer-funded pay packet, claiming his “brand” is worth the money.

TV tradie Scott Cam has defended his whopping taxpayer-funded pay cheque for 18 months of work as a careers ambassador.

The Block star has so far pocketed $145,000 of the $350,000 figure to steer students away from universities and instead think about a trade.

Asked by Sky News presenter Annelise Nielsen if he thinks it’s a fair salary, Cam said: “Of course I do”.

“That is the value of the brand and the profile the government seem fit to pay me,” he said this morning, noting he has “20-odd years” of TV experience and “40-odd years” of work in the building industry.

“I have a high profile and the government wanted to utilise that.”

Scott Cam this morning. Picture: Sky News

Skills Department officials told Senate estimates last week Cam had appeared in three short videos, made four social media posts and put a profile on a government website.

The Gold Logie winner insists he has done “many, many” interviews in the role, saying it hadn’t properly kicked into gear yet as students have been on school holidays.

“If you did your homework and knew what you were talking about, you’d work out that all of the tours and appointments we’re going to see are school based or education facilities like TAFEs and things like that,” he said.

“Over the summer all of those facilities are closed, there’s no students there. I think that would be a waste of taxpayers’ money if I was standing at an empty school. Wouldn’t you?”

Cam said they had “always planned” to start the tour in February-March, kicking it off today.

His job is to bring awareness to the 4500 private and government learning facilities across the country, he said.

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Scott Cam speaking to media alongside Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business Michaelia Cash and Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: James Gourley/AAP

Cam launched his national tour alongside Skills Minister Michaelia Cash on Tuesday, promising he has 12 appearances booked so far.

When asked today about the “metrics” or “KPIs” he needed to meet, he said the bookings are on a “month-to-month basis”.

“I don’t have the exact numbers on me,” he said.

Pressed further about his salary, a defensive Cam said: “My management and the government discussed the fee.

“That’s none of your business, that’s a commercial arrangement.”

Scott Cam on the construction site at The Oslo for The Block 2019. Picture: Channel 9.

He later backtracked, conceding taxpayers had an interest in the figure but not in how the role came to be.

“That’s what my business is, that’s what I do for a living. My business is my brand and lending that to companies and businesses to get the message out there.

“I don’t work for the government as such, I’m not a politician. The government is hiring me on a business level.”

Deputy opposition leader Richard Marles told Sky in relation to Cam’s interview: “I think defensive is a fair word to use.”

“Ultimately, what the government needs to be doing in relation to VET is to properly fund it.”

The previous Labor government also paid Cam to open trade fairs.