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Scott Cam defends careers ambassador role

A robust Block host gives gnarly answers when pressed on govt-endorsed role.

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The Block host Scott Cam has given a gnarly response to questions over his role and salary as National Careers Ambassador, during an appearance on SKY News today.

Cam was appointed last year to the 18 month role for $350,000 due to his brand and success in the trades industry. But ever since some observers have questioned the salary.

Asked why he had only contributed three videos, four social media posts since being appointed, today he replied, “If you did your homework and knew what you were talking about, you’d know that all of the tours and appointments that we’re going to are school or TAFE based and over the summer all of those facilities are closed.”

Cam claimed the tour was always due to take place from February / March.

He also objected to questions about whether he had personally negotiated the fee with the government.

“My management and the government discussed the fee, that’s none of your business that’s a commercial arrangement and how that came about is between my management, myself and the government,” he said.

Cam, who is currently filming The Block for Nine, will travel the country to promote VET courses.

“My role around the country over the next 18 months is to bring awareness to that.”

20 Responses

  3. er … has anyone noticed the escalating battle between, in the red corner, Rupert and Seven, and in the blue corner, Nine now that 9 is (a) winning the TV ratings (b) taken over Fairfax??? Beat up …

    1. … except that the interview was on Sky News, not 7. According to Sky News’ website, Sky is wholly owned by News Corp Australia which, AFAIK, doesn’t have any ownership interests in either 7 or 9. In any event, it was Cam’s ultra-clumsy responses to questions that any decent journalist should have been asking under the circumstances. Thanks to his brain not connecting properly with his mouth, Cam has he himself created another memorable ‘train-wreck’ interview – and he joins a growing list of ‘train-wreck’ interviewees, with special mention being directed to Kelly O’Dwyer on Insiders a couple of years ago.

  4. If you’re not prepared to explain why you’re accepting taxpayers’ money to do work for the government, don’t do work for the government.

    Scott Cam has completely lost any respect I had for him over this. Telling the media the fee is “none of their business” shows he has no respect for the people of Australia.

    Another article said “I have to feed my family”. Like you can’t feed your family on the handsome salary that Channel Nine is giving you? Absolutely appalling behaviour and a poor choice as an ambassador.

      1. He explained it, but he’s taking offense at having to do so. Taxpayers have a right to question why someone is earning the amount of money he is earning.

        As for being a matter solely for the Minister, not true – he is doing work on behalf of the government and paid with taxpayer money. That makes him as accountable to the Australian public as the Minister. If he doesn’t like that, he shouldn’t be accepting government money or work. All public servants’ wages are made public through Enterprise Agreements on each agency’s website, this is no different.

  5. Anyone familiar with characters like Scott Cam would let his off the cuff jibes pass through their deaf ear, he likes being the larrikin ‘tradie’ and quite a few tradies would like to be him, especially with his net worth.
    Whatever critics may say, Scott is a stayer, his brand has remained strong while more glamorous TV colleagues like Jamie Durie have found their careers dimming and fortunes fluctuating.
    Scott looks like he will join you for a beer it’s probably what keeps viewers watching ‘The Block’ including his penchant for having a go at the contestants.

  6. Scott Cam should be loaded with $$$. He should donate some of the monies to apprentices to buy tools. That’s more money than MPs get. Mind you l would not pay them neither.

  7. I don’t know this guy but I really don’t like him. If you did your homework and knew what you were talking about and that’s none of your business is really rude and uncalled for. I would never watch The Block after seeing his true colours here.

  9. I will preface my comment (and I’m sure longtime TVTonight readers are aware) by saying that I do not like Scott Cam at all.
    So his grisly, awkward, nonsensical performance here is exactly why I don’t like him… he seems quite fake to me in his media appearances.
    This interview, pay packet and loose ambassador role he’s currently earning an insane amount of money for certainly doesn’t do him, the government or his “brand” any favours. To me, he came across as someone who’s not quite sure of his role at all…

  11. Fair enough. Seems odd though that his management would negotiate a role requiring him to travel through Feb/March, when The Block is in production. I have seasonal work too and try to spread it across the year a little more, rather than all at once. Still each to their own.

    1. Another taxpayer donation to mates of the liberal party , Scott’s a real Aussie cobber larrakin mate champ digger kind of bloke who’s on tv so that’ll help their cause.

    1. That was my reaction, also. I want the government to be accountable for how they spend my tax dollars. With governments continuing to slash funding to TAFE and young people struggling to get training, you have to wonder why they’d need to pay a celebrity such a fee. Even before this ambassadorship was announced Cam had started exude a very obnoxious vibe. Such a response reflects poorly on him and and detracts from the “knockabout bloke” image he has cultivated.

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