Mixed reactions to Trujillo departure

26 Feb 2009, 1:53 pm   -   Source: AAP
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The federal coalition has paid tribute to outgoing Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo.

The federal coalition has paid tribute to outgoing Telstra chief executive Sol Trujillo, saying he had made the company one of the world's most successful telecommunications providers.

But the Australian Greens were not so forthcoming, linking news of Mr Trujillo's departure to excessive corporate salaries.

Mr Trujillo will leave on June 30 to return home to the United States, ending months of speculation about his future.

The opposition's broadband and communications spokesman Nick Minchin said Mr Trujillo provided strong leadership and vision in transforming Telstra.

Senator Minchin, who worked closely with the Telstra boss during the government sell-off of its share in the telco, said the success of T3 owed much to the commitment of Mr Trujillo.

Greens leader Bob Brown said it was an opportunity for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to place a realistic cap on the excessive salaries of corporate bosses, adding that Mr Trujillo was paid $13.4 million last year.

"There is no doubt there'll be some energy being put into a massive golden parachute," Senator Brown told reporters.

Shareholders should have the power to curb salaries above $1 million and the CEOs of companies that benefit from government bailouts should have their packages limited to $5 million or 10 times the prime minister's salary, he said.

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