Wool chief to quit with payout: [3 All-round Metro Edition]
Stapleton, John. The Australian [Canberra, A.C.T] 28 Nov 2002: 4.
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Abstract
New AWI chairman Ian McLachlan announced Mr [Dorber]’s departure, and wished him well.
Former AWI chairwoman Maree McCaskill said the termination of Mr Dorber’s contract raised concerns about whether his removal had met conditions laid out in corporations law.
Ms McCaskill said Mr Dorber would effectively be replaced by three people — David Ward, recently retired managing director of theAustralian Wool Testing Authority, Sas Douglas, previously deputy managing director of AWTA, and Les Targ, previously the CEO ofAustralian Defence Industries. She said between them they would be paid more than $4500 a day.
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CONTROVERSY surrounding the Australian Wool Innovation company, the wool industry’s $80million research and development body, deepened this week with the announcement that managing director Col Dorber is to step down.
Industry rumours suggest Mr Dorber will have to be paid out his full contract — believed to be worth about $450,000 a year — up to 2004.
AWI has been involved in messy conflict for weeks, firstly over a battle that saw the board replaced earlier this month.
Last week Farmhand and the Red Cross had to refund a $500,000 AWI donation after a dispute over the conditions of the donation.
New AWI chairman Ian McLachlan announced Mr Dorber’s departure, and wished him well.
However, Mr Dorber said last night he was “not at all pleased” to be losing his job.
“I am a political victim if I ever saw one,” he said.
Mr Dorber said he would like to comment, but he was constrained by the legal position. “I am not allowed to say anything,” he said, but laughed when it was put to him that the board would be required to pay out a five-year contract.
“I wish,” he said.
Former AWI chairwoman Maree McCaskill said the termination of Mr Dorber’s contract raised concerns about whether his removal had met conditions laid out in corporations law.
She said the manner in which the new board was replacing Mr Dorber against legal advice raised further concerns over corporate governance.
Mr McLachlan described the claims as “rubbish” and said it sounded like “the sort of thing you might expect from people who are disenfranchised”.
He said there would be a media conference today when all the facts would be presented.
Ms McCaskill said Mr Dorber would effectively be replaced by three people — David Ward, recently retired managing director of theAustralian Wool Testing Authority, Sas Douglas, previously deputy managing director of AWTA, and Les Targ, previously the CEO ofAustralian Defence Industries. She said between them they would be paid more than $4500 a day.
Ms McCaskill raised concerns of a potential perception of conflicts of interest with the appointments.
Mr McLachlan said the people being appointed had left AWTA and were private consultants. Their expertise within the industry made them perfect appointments.