Quake panel leader defends 'reasonable' fee

Jenny Shipley. Photo / Getty Images

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Review Panel chairman Sir John Hansen says his fee, which is more than twice the going rate, is "very reasonable".

The panel, appointed on April 17 to oversee earthquake recovery legislation and advise ministers, also includes former National prime minister Dame Jenny Shipley, company director and consultant Anake Goodall and former Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry chief executive Murray Sherwin.

According to papers made public on Tuesday, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee sought "exceptional" fees for the panel, above the usual range of $360-$655 a day for a chairman and $270-$415 for members.

He suggested a rate of $1400 for Sir John and $1000 for the other members, which State Services Minister Tony Ryall approved.

"I do not believe the proposed nominees will undertake the role for fees within the ranges established in the Cabinet Fees Framework," Mr Brownlee said on April 11.

Yesterday, Sir John, a former judge, told Radio NZ $1400 was a "very reasonable fee".

"The one thing that needs to be understood is we get these things on very short notice with a very, very short turnaround ... so we have to drop everything else."

Sir John said he had not inquired about the fee when he was asked to do the job.

"The reality is, as I understand it, no members of the panel have actually yet rendered an invoice and we would measure our time to date in hours, not days."

- NZPA