Disgraceful EFC - Extending pokies license to 2042

[Humble_Minion]

“What the club does with that asset going forward – clearly we have a medium-term objective to continue to service community groups,” Mr Campbell said.

This is the line that ■■■■■■ me off the most.

We’re still pushing the pathetic and indefensible line that running pokies venues is somehow ‘serving the community’. It also makes me wonder (again) if we’re running the scam that was reported in the Conversation a few years back, where clubs claim wages for their pokies venues as ‘community contributions’ rather than simply the cost of doing business, in order to rort a gambling tax rebate. I’ve asked club representatives about this several times on here and have never gotten a straight answer.

Also, if we’re still claiming that we haven’t finalised out pokie strategy, and we’re still pretending pokie venues are community services, then it says loud and clear to me that the club has no intention whatsoever of getting out of the one-armed-bandit business any time soon.

[Bacchusfox]

All Pokies have a clock to show you the time, and Melton Club has lots of natural lighting, they are called windows.

Reckon more people play pokies than any other form of gambling, so more pokie addicts would follow as a consequence.

[Bacchusfox]

I have the answer for you. Just don’t go to the Melton Club and leave it to Community people like me who use it, along with the RSL and all the other community it supports.

[Windy_Dill]

“What the club does with that asset going forward – clearly we have a medium-term objective to continue to service community groups,” Mr Campbell said.

This is the line that ■■■■■■ me off the most.

We’re still pushing the pathetic and indefensible line that running pokies venues is somehow ‘serving the community’.

This so much.

[redbull]

where clubs claim wages for their pokies venues as ‘community contributions’ rather than simply the cost of doing business, in order to rort a gambling tax rebate.

Interesting observation. However I’m unclear how would a tax rebate help given the football club is non tax paying as a not for profit organisation?

[Humble_Minion]

Interesting observation. However I’m unclear how would a tax rebate help given the football club is non tax paying as a not for profit organisation?

They are exempt from corporate tax, not specific gambling taxes that target pokies.

I linked this article in the above post, but it was a bit hard to see, So again…

How real are claims of poker machine community benefits?

[dingus]

Not sure how we’re up to anything dodgy there? We donated 300k to his wife’s charity with the final payment 5 years ago? It’s a donation to a charity, not an investment in business and it’s 5 years ago. Unless you’re trying to say we bought him via his wife’s charity 5 years ago so that we could have him in our pocket for a hung vote (which was unanimous until some people complained and it was re-voted on) that wouldn’t happen for half a decade (who knew he would still be mayor?).

I’m anti pokies and I would like the club to have nothing to do with gambling, but this seems an awfully long bow to draw.

Corruption and conflict of interest are not the same thing.

His vote wasn’t corrupt, but having the fate of a multi decade, multi million dollar question decided in your favour by a bloke who has received an indirect benefit to the tune of $300,000 is about the clearest conflict of interest I have ever heard of.

[Birch19]

I’m still confused what the benefit to him is or his wife? It’s a charity.

[Humble_Minion]

I’m still confused what the benefit to him is or his wife? It’s a charity.

If her position at the charity is paid, then it’s certainly an indirect benefit to her because she can use her fundraising success in pay negotiations etc.

If her position at the chariity is unpaid, then she is obviously working at the charity out of personal conviction, and funding someone’s personal convictions is a very good way to get on their good side.

It’s the clearest of clear conflicts of interest.

[Bacchusfox]

Wow, you guys draw a very long bow.

I know Bob Turner and his Wife pretty well, and he is not a friend and no longer a Comrade having resigned from the ALP in a huff when he was over-looked as Mayor so years ago.

However they both have dedicated there lives tom community service and Bob has been on Council for decades and runs many community groups. The Gap on Graham is a centre for youth and helps Melton kids who have no-where else to go and gets them away from trouble very well.

Conflict of Interest is all about some-one making a direct or indirect financial gain, and the Turners have put lots of their own money into this place. What they get in return is knowing the good the place achieves.

As I said they are not friends but I respect their work.

Suggest some of you actually read the rules around conflict of interest as it pertains to local government and send Stephen Mayne a copy.

[dingus]

I’m still confused what the benefit to him is or his wife? It’s a charity.

Yep, fair enough, and that is exactly why it’s not corruption.

There doesn’t need to be “benefit” for conflict of interest.

This is the most conflict conflict that ever conflicted confictedly at conflicting.

Edit: What @Humble_Minion said.

[Bacchusfox]

Wrong, of course it has to be a benefit

[Bacchusfox]

Page 114 onwards

http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/LTObject_Store/LTObjSt6.nsf/DDE300B846EED9C7CA257616000A3571/32807739DAFB424ACA2578DB001B8014/$FILE/89-11aa109A%20authorised.pdf

[dingus]

Conflict of Interest is all about some-one making a direct or indirect financial gain

But, that’s absolutely not what it’s all about.

I don’t doubt they’re good people doing good work, and I don’t doubt for a second neither personally benefitted.

Conflict, conflict conflict.

[Bacchusfox]

dingus; read the farking legislation.

It is only about financial gain

[dingus]

I believe, without trawling through a document where I have to start at page one hundred and farking fourteen, that it may say that somewhere.

It doesn’t change the fact that there’s a conflict of interest.

Victorian legislation relating to council voting processes is not really a relevant source of truth regarding conflict of interest existing.

[Bacchusfox]

The whole question is the fact how the Mayor of the City of Melton used his casting vote.

It is only about the Local Government Act; not what you or HM or Stephen Mayne thinks

Explain the conflict ?

[dingus]

Explain the conflict ?

1: Bloke has relationship with entity.

2: Bloke votes in a way to benefit said entity.

3: Conflict.

[redbull]

Looks like you have gone all CAS threads in a cable on this. How does he pass the first limb? It’s his wife and it’s a charity. What direct relationship does he have with Essendon?

[dingus]

What direct relationship does he have with Essendon?

Doesn’t have to be direct.

It’s his wife

Bingo. Related entity.

it’s a charity

And, from what I’ve read, a very good one. But it makes not one iota of difference.

Here’s a quick test… Do you reckon the bloke would think Essendon is a bit of alright after they made that donation to his wife’s charity?