TV tradie Scott Cam has defended his $350,000 taxpayer-funded careers gig, saying it represents “the value of the brand” and is “none of your business”.
The Morrison government appointed The Block star as its trades ambassador in October 2019.
But it was revealed in Senate estimates last week that Cam’s only public appearance in the 18-month role so far has been at the media conference alongside Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Skills Minister Michaelia Cash to announce his appointment.
Since then, Cam has pocketed $145,000 of his contract.
On Tuesday, Cam told Sky News that his duties as national careers ambassador kicked off in March – “and that was always the case”.
“If you did your homework and knew what you were talking about, you’d know that all of the tours and appointments that we’re going to are school or TAFE-based, and over the summer all of those facilities are closed,” he said.
“I think that would be a waste of taxpayer money if I was standing at an empty school, wouldn’t you?
“We always planned to start this tour in February, February and March, that was always the case, so all you’ve got to do is ask the questions before making the statements.”
Asked if he thought his $350,000 taxpayer-funded salary was appropriate, Cam said “that is the value of the brand and the profile that the government saw fit to pay me”.
“My management and the government discussed the fee – that’s none of your business, that’s a commercial arrangement, and how that came about is between my management, myself and the government,” he said.
He later back-tracked, conceding taxpayers had an interest in the figure but not in how the role came to be.
Deputy opposition leader Richard Marles later told Sky that
“defensive” was a fair word to use in relation to Cam’s interview.
“Ultimately, what the government needs to be doing in relation to VET is to properly fund it,” he said.
Skills Department officials told Senate estimates that Cam had also appeared in three short videos, made four social media posts and put a profile on a government website.
Senator Cash said Cam would host the Australian Training Awards in November. It is one of eight events he is scheduled to attend this year – including another this week with Senator Cash.
The previous Labor government also paid Cam to open trade fairs.
-with AAP
The post ‘None of your business’: Scott Cam defends lucrative trades gig appeared first on The New Daily.
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