Eden Park's management still backing chief executive despite Helen Clark's criticism

Helen Clark says the appointment of Nick Sautner to the top job on the Eden Park Trust was "unethical". Photo / Greg Bowker

Eden Park's management is still backing its troubled chief executive, despite former PM Helen Clark calling his appointment "unethical".

Clark says it's "extraordinary" the Eden Park Trust Board handed Nick Sautner its top job last year despite him leaving Australia with a charred history.

A Federal Court ruling found Sautner, who was in a senior role while at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, used free tickets "like currency", to get work done around his home, on his car, and gain cheap gym memberships and supermarket vouchers.

Clark today told Stuff she did not understand how "the Eden Park Trust finds nothing to question about the appointment when an Australian Federal Court has found that his misconduct 'included elements of dishonesty'."

"This sets a very low standard of behaviour for an entity operating under an Act of Parliament. I would describe such behaviour as unethical," she said.

However, board chairman Doug McKay did not respond to Clark's comments.

"We've issued our statement, there is nothing further to say," he said.

"There's no news here in this matter."

A spokeswoman for Minister for Sport and Recreation Grant Robertson said the Eden Park Trust was an independent organisation responsible for its own decision making.

"Other than appointing five of the nine trustees (as per the Eden Park Trust Act 1955), the Crown has no responsibility for or decision-making power over the Park," she said.

"Moreover, the Crown has no ownership or 'shareholding' interest in the Park."

McKay earlier said the board had been delighted with Sautner's work ethic and integrity.

"There hasn't been a single incident which has given me cause to doubt him and, unless he proves me wrong, Nick Sautner has our full support."

The Federal Court stated in its decision "it should not be overlooked that Mr Sautner's purpose was to treat his unlimited access to tickets as cash, that is as a supplementary form of income.

"Whatever 'for their personal use' meant in the policy, on no reading would that purpose be authorised.

"The 'perk' that staff were being given was not obtaining tickets to use as cash but obtaining tickets so that the staff member, their family, friends and acquaintances could get to attend events at the stadium."

In a statement, Eden Park Trust said the court case was "not new information", and it looked into the issue before hiring Sautner.