It turns out the saga over the events at the Canberra Institute of Technology could have been a little shorter.
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For two years, the board which runs the CIT insisted its hands were tied over what action it could take over the institute's chief executive who had engaged a "complexity and systems thinker" at a cost in a series of contracts adding up to $8.5 million.
The board insisted it would have to wait for the findings of the investigation by the ACT Integrity Commissioner. In the meantime, the chief executive, Leanne Cover, would stay on the payroll.
But it turns out the Integrity Commissioner didn't agree. Michael Adams KC said the board could have taken action much sooner had it so decided.
The cost to the taxpayer of what the commissioner has now declared as an unnecessary piece of inactivity by the board is substantial.
Ms Cover received $465,200 as "entitlements" but, as the word suggests, she was entitled to this payment. It would have been payments like accrued holiday pay.
But an earlier termination of her employment would clearly have saved the taxpayer her salary over those two years.
Ms Cover was paid an annual salary of about $373,000.
![Former CIT chief executive Leanne Cover, inset, was paid a massive salary while under investigation for corruption. Pictures by Sitthixay Ditthavong, supplied Former CIT chief executive Leanne Cover, inset, was paid a massive salary while under investigation for corruption. Pictures by Sitthixay Ditthavong, supplied](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/RXMuw2JbrrS7ELSxSY9rkR/8b27b9eb-a4b6-40df-b65d-1bc84e31925e.jpg/r0_0_1200_675_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
ACT Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee said it was disgraceful Ms Cover had been paid while she was on directed leave. We agree with Ms Lee.
This whole matter has been an unedifying spectacle of buck-passing. Nobody seems to have taken responsibility for signing those contracts for $8.5 million.
The minister responsible for the CIT, Chris Steel, said he had voiced concern.
But that only prompts the question of why he didn't act when the response, if any, was inadequate.
At one stage, a CIT spokesman said the nature of the work required of the contracted company was "to enable it (the CIT) to function as a system that learns".
Did this kind of gobbledygook not set off multiple alarm bells? Was everybody just sitting on their hands and saying "nothing to do with me".
It would be nice to think the Integrity Commissioner's report will eventually bring clarity.
And people paid by the taxpayer need reminding of where their wages come from.
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