Decision on whether the ABC will disclose pay of high-earning employees’ is imminent

A decision is imminent on whether the ABC will be forced to disclose the incomes of employees earning more than $230,000 per year and also reveal any bonuses they receive.

ABC managing director David Anderson. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Martin Ollman

The ABC’s failure to disclose the salaries of high-earning employees “fails the transparency test” and is an act of “self-interest rather than being in the public interest”, according to Liberal senator Sarah Henderson.

The Victorian MP has criticised the ABC after she requested the national broadcaster’s managing director David Anderson reveal the pay details of staff members – including contractors and subcontractors – earning salaries over $230,000, plus any bonuses and allowances they receive.

Senate estimates are due for a spillover hearing on Wednesday and a decision on the issue of pay disclosure is imminent.

The impasse comes as the ABC is in the middle of long-running pay negotiations.

On Monday, voting will open to ABC employees about a new wage deal offering annual pay increases of 3.5 per cent, 3 per cent and 2.5 per cent through until 2024.

Mr Anderson has repeatedly refused to release salary information and cited the public interest immunity (PII) doctrine in his failure to hand over the details, including employees’ names and salaries.

Senator Henderson said the ABC should mirror the BBC, which publishes the incomes of high-earning employees.

“With a decision about the PII claim by the environment and communications legislation committee imminent, it is very disappointing that the ABC is acting in self-interest rather than in the public interest,” she told The Australian.

“The ABC has failed to explain why its highly paid staff should be treated differently to senior staff at the BBC which are subject to very high obligations of disclosure in the public interest.

“The BBC is required to publish the details of salaries, expenses, gifts, hospitality and declaration of personal interests for all senior staff who earn more than a £150,000 a year, as well as for all BBC board members.”

At estimates earlier this month, Mr Anderson said he would not hand over salary information.

“I don’t believe it’s appropriate that we provide the information that you seek,” Mr Anderson argued.

The ABC boss also said that releasing salary information publicly would make it difficult to keep highly paid staff because they could be offered more lucrative roles by rival commercial competitors.

Mr Anderson, who has been managing director since 2019, had a total remuneration package of $1.036m in the last financial year.

He was the highest paid at the ABC, followed by the ABC’s chief financial officer Melanie Kleyn, who took home $611,000.

The next highest paid was the head of entertainment, Michael Carrington, who resigned in June – he earned $454,000 in the same period.

Senator Henderson said if remuneration information was not made public by the ABC, “there is a strong case for legislative reform which forces the ABC to be more transparent”.

“I also raise concerns about the ABC’s PII claim in response to a request for information about the gender, place of work, role and salary band of each ABC employee.

“This is important information to understand how the ABC is resourced including in rural and regional Australia,” Senator Henderson said.

The union, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance, is encouraging ABC employees to vote “no” to the proposed wages increases this week.

The MEAA is instead calling for annual 6 per cent pay rises for the next three years alongside other measures, including 15.4 per cent superannuation payments.