Business Beagle
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Finance Industry
Songshi QuanGravy Train Derailed
September 3rd 2008 02:54
Gravy Train Derailed
The fall out continues for Queensland Rail and it’s beleaguered chief executive Lance Hockridge. Not only did the media, courtesy of Steven Wardill and AAP to name a few, burst their balloon of excess planned for Riverfire 2008. But, now it seems that their State Government Minister John Mickel, who was rather conspicuously not invited to the shindig in the first place, has come down hard on their extravagant social activities and grand plans for the future.
In summary of events so far we have:
- Planned $30,000 night of debauchery was discovered and then canned by the Minister due to intense media and public criticism (fairly well justified).
- Cost to tax payers ended up at $24,500 paid to the restaurant for the last minute cancellation. It seems that the restaurant decided against re-booking their establishment at such a late hour and had already purchased the required food and beverages. Is it just me or are we all thinking that the owner and staff of that restaurant had one hell of a great private bash that night for the spectacular Riverfire display, courtesy of our friends at Queensland Rail?
- Taking an axe to the Queensland Rail social budget and year planner, we have now seen a corporate box at Suncorp Stadium for the Bledisloe Cup cancelled, hopefully without the obligatory “hefty” cancellation fee given the event is scheduled for September 13.
- And the new full time staff member being employed for the hospitality team at Queensland Rail will now be amended to a 6 month contract instead of the full time position originally planned.
Corporate Events
Don’t misunderstand me, I understand the usefulness of a corporate event to wine and dine potential clients, sponsors, key executives who work damn hard to ensure a profitable company and even for other business stakeholders. But there is a line in the sand. A line referred to as “Community Expectations” by the Minster for Queensland Transport. A line referred to by most as “Bloody common sense”.
Add to the mix, a government organization funded by tax payer dollars and you would expect that the above mentioned line would be drawn a little on the conservative side of the playing field as it’s not just company profits you are willy-nilly allocating to your grand largess. These are funds that perhaps could be spent on… I don’t know…. SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY!!!
It would be different if we had sufficient trains for the required populace that ran on time occasionally. It would be different if beleaguered families were not queuing outside non-profit Church organizations for food handouts.
Take a bow of shame Lance Hockridge. You may want to re-align your priorities and those of your Government owned business while you still have you excessive executive salary.
Thanks to Songshi Quan again for sniffing out this gem of corporate stupidity.
Woof!
Business Beagle
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Comment by Anonymous
What is the "Sophie" test I hear you ask??? Well, it comes from my dentist. Sophie is his daughter and everytime he ponders a question about whether he should pursue a particular treatment with a client, he asks...."If this was my daughter Sophie, would I do the treatment?".
I love this test.....it can answer so many of the seemingly too hard to deal with questions.
So if the head of Qld Rail had asked himself, "If this was MY money I'm about to spend, would I spend it?"
Me thinks not!!!
Miss J.
Comment by Songshi Quan
...and you're right on Miss J (Miss Jane?...like out of Mr Squiggle?...anyway...) - I can well imagine that if it was 'personal' money, not a cent of it would be going to "benefit the people of Queensland" (as the QR spokeswoman was quoted as saying).
Ha!
I may be a dog, but at least I'm not a pig!
Pig dogs are OK though... O.O
Ruff!
Comment by Jeff K
Comment by Business Beagle
Business News
Robert Keanalley
One question... is it a regular listed company that answers to shareholders? If so, then, so long as the shareholders / stakeholders are happy with how it spends it's money, then fine. But, I suspect that it is at the very least, partially funded by tax payer dollars and as such it needs to answer to the community through it's elected officials, the government ministers.
Given the change of tactics since all this came to light, I suspect they themselves have begun to realise that perhaps their entertaining was tending towards excess. But, hey, that is the beauty of this blog, I encourage discussion, dissenting views and debate
If I go a little over the top, then I need to be corrected also
Woof!