ACT executives who commit 'corrupt conduct' to be denied payouts

The changes were signed off by Chief Minister Andrew Barr this week following advice from the public service.

Executives who have their employment terminated are eligible for a payout equivalent to two weeks of their salary for each year of employment or an amount equivalent to six months of their salary.

Before the changes, executives who were dismissed were not eligible for this payment if they had under-performed or had engaged in serious misconduct.

But the term "serious corrupt conduct or systemic corrupt conduct" was added to the standards this week.

An explanatory statement to the changes said one of its purposes was "to provide that an SES member is not eligible for a payment if their engagement is ended for serious misconduct, serious corrupt conduct or systemic corrupt conduct".

The changes apply to statutory office holders including the Auditor-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Canberra Institute of Technology chief executive.

Mr Barr highlighted the change in response to a question from Opposition Leader Elizabeth Lee in the Assembly about whether he had made any representations to the ACT Remuneration Tribunal about the salary of the chief executive of CIT.

The question was in relation to whether the government would make a submission to say the stood-down CEO should not receive a pay rise.

Leanne Cover has been on paid leave for more than 18 months while the Integrity Commission is investigating contracts worth more than $8.5 million to companies owned by a "complexity and systems thinker".

Ms Cover was granted a 3.5 per cent pay rise in July by the territory's independent remuneration tribunal, bringing her package to $373,061 a year. CIT acting chief executive Christine Robertson is also being paid the same amount.

Mr Barr did not address this issue but pointed Ms Lee to the change in response to the question.

"I signed off on advice to address some of the issues that are pertinent to questions around what happens in relation to executives and statutory officeholders in a situation where contract termination may or may not occur," he said.

"In relation to the Remuneration Tribunal, it would not be within their remit to make a decision to single out an individual."

ACT integrity commissioner Michael Adams KC announced in November a draft report of the investigation had been sent to 35 people who were given at least six weeks to respond and request any possible changes to be considered by the commission.

The six weeks ended in December.

Skills Minister Chris Steel has previously confirmed he has received a copy of the report.