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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
Lucy Bladen

CIT won't say whether it continues to pay two chief executive salaries

Canberra Institute of Technology acting chief executive Christine Roberston. Picture by Karleen Minney

The Canberra Institute of Technology will not confirm whether it has continued to pay the salary for two chief executives while the acting boss is not living in Canberra.

Former CIT boss Leanne Cover was earlier this year stood down from her $318,687 position after the ACT Integrity Commission confirmed it was inquiring into a series of contracts awarded by the institute.

The acting chief executive of CIT Christine Robertson lives in Melbourne and travels to the nation's capital each week.

CIT board chair Kate Lundy said the acting chief executive was employed under flexible working arrangements. She did not reveal associated travel costs despite being asked.

"The Canberra Institute of Technology chief executive Christine Robertson is employed by the ACT government under flexible working arrangements and conditions," she said in a statement.

"The interim CEO is based in Melbourne and travels to Canberra each week."

It is also unclear how long the acting chief executive will remain in the position.

The appointment was initially for a period of up to six months. This will expire in January.

Ms Lundy said the appointment of Ms Robertson would be reassessed in the new year.

The integrity commission is currently investigating how more than $8.5 million worth of contracts were awarded to companies owned by "complexity and systems thinker" Patrick Hollingworth.

The contracts were to help with organisation transformation but courted controversy after ACT Skills Minister Chris Steel said he did not understand what work was required.

Mr Steel demanded an explanation from the board, which said it could not guarantee whether the contracts represented value for money.

In August, Ms Lundy said former chief executive Ms Cover would be on paid leave for the "duration of the inquiries and investigations".

But Ms Lundy also said the leave was being considered on a month-to-month basis.

When asked this week if Ms Cover was still on paid leave, the CIT board chair would not confirm, saying it was not appropriate to comment given the ongoing integrity commission investigation.

The Canberra Times did not ask specific questions about the ongoing inquiry.

ACT Integrity Commissioner Michael Adams KC has previously said more than one million documents related to the awarding of the contracts needed to be examined.

But Mr Adams has previously expressed concerns about the "significantly under-resourced" commission. He told a hearing in August he was seeking additional investigators to help with the "current investigative burden".

The inquiry could possibly take years to complete.

Staff at the institute have also told The Canberra Times all images of former chief executives have been taken down.

Ms Lundy said CIT was "revamping" the display to recognise staff and the achievements of the institute over the past years.

"When this display is finalised it will still include the photographs of the former CEOs," she said.

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