THE Canberra Liberals are calling for a review into the recent determination to award a 3.5 per cent pay increase to the suspended CEO of the Canberra Institute of Technology.

Leader Elizabeth Lee has written to the Chief Minister and the ACT Remuneration Tribunal. She says the pay increase awarded to Leanne Cover, the stood down CEO, is not in line with community expectation and should be reviewed immediately.

The recent determination by the ACT Remuneration Tribunal takes Ms Cover’s total remuneration package to $373,061, despite having been stood down in June last year following the awarding of a number of contracts, which are now the subject of an investigation by the Integrity Commission.

The allegations relate to the awarding of $8.5 million worth of contracts to a “complexity and system thinker”.

“The Canberra community is extremely concerned that the stood down CEO, who has been on paid leave since July 2022, has been awarded a significant pay rise,” Ms Lee said.

“I have written to the Chief Minister and asked him to use his powers under the legislation to write to the ACT Remuneration tribunal and seek an inquiry to determine the remuneration allowances of the CEO position of the Canberra Institute of Technology as soon as possible.

“Canberra taxpayers have been footing the bill for two CEOs now for nearly 18 months and this pay rise just adds insult to injury.”