'It's unfair!' $4.5MILLION-a-year NAB CEO says he shouldn't be criticised for going on HOLIDAY for the release of the banking report – as calls grow for him to resign
- National Australia Bank chief executive Andrew Thorburn has defended leave
- He went on an extended break a week before Christmas and was away this week
- He told Sky News he needed to spend time with his family and elderly parents
- Royal commisioner Kenneth Hayne savaged NAB boss in final report of inquiry
National Australia Bank's embattled chief executive Andrew Thorburn has defended his decision to take extended annual leave during the release of the banking royal commission's damning final report.
The $4.4million-a-year banking boss was savaged by retired High Court judge Kenneth Hayne, who slammed him and NAB chairman Ken Henry in his findings released on Monday.
Mr Thornburn was castigated for telling the royal commission hearing he had no idea fees had been charged for no service, sparking calls for his resignation.
Appearing on TV a day later, the married father-of-three claimed he needed to spend time with his family, after being repeatedly asked by Sky News business journalist Ticky Fullerton if taking extended leave at this time was a good idea.
'You have a life outside the company,' he said on Tuesday, after earlier evading the question.
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'I've got a marriage, I've got children, I've got elderly parents.
'They're the people who I want to spend some time with.'
National Australia Bank CEO Andrew Thornburn (pictured) has defended his decision to take extended annual leave during the release of the banking royal commission's final report
The married father-of-three (right) said he needed to spend time with his family, after being repeatedly asked by Sky News business journalist Ticky Fullerton (left) about his leave
Mr Thornburn, who went on extended leave a week before Christmas, had earlier told Sky News NAB had a 'very competent management team'.
Asked a second time why he had taken extended leave, he raised his left index finger.
'Just let me finish,' he said.
'The second thing is that I and leaders in corporate Australia: it's demanding, you need energy, you need a break.'
In 2018, Mr Thornburn received a total remuneration package of $4.4million, with bonuses on top of his $2.3million base salary
In 2018, Mr Thornburn received a total remuneration package of $4.4million, with bonuses on top of his $2.3million base salary.
Under his watch, in September, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission began Federal Court action against NAB over fees being charged for no service for superannuation products.
This occurred a month before he appeared at a hearing at Parliament House in Canberra, following royal commission revelations about NAB.
Former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne (left with Treasurer Josh Frydenberg) slammed NAB CEO Andrew Thorburn in his final royal commission report
Mr Hayne, in his final report, savaged Mr Thornburn's assertion managers had no idea fees were being charged for no service.
'The amounts of money that just "fell into the pocket" of so many large and sophisticated financial entities, the number of times it happened, and the many years over which it happened, show that it cannot be swept aside as no more than bumbling incompetence or the product of poor computer systems,' the former High Court judge said.
'My fear - that there may be a wide gap between the public face NAB seeks to show and what it does in practice - remains.'
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