Dingus and HM are clearly correct (obviously). Textbook example of a conflict of interest (and even if it wasn’t - it’s a perceived conflict of interest which is just as bad).
Old mate Baccs doing intellectual gymnastics as usual
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I get your position if it was a donation to a business. But it isn’t so how does he benefit from his wife’s charity? If this charity is as active in the community as @Bacchusfox suggests then one could argue the entire council is conflicted given the community benefits flowing indirectly from Essendon’s donation. These sorts of issues would come about all the time at local council levels and the conflicts are managed accordingly.
Storm in a tea cup.
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So just out of interest, … if none of the above reasons existed, (no donation etc), … and the bloke in question just happened to be an Essendon supporter, … conflict??
He should then recuse himself from voting?
What if Xavier Cambell bought him a Beer once, and he thinks he’s a nice guy?
Or the blokes kid supports the Bombers and won a Free footy and M/ship at a Bombers Clinic once, … or a jumper signed by the whole team, potentially worth quite a bit of dough in the future?
Conflict? Recusal?? Where does it end?
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I’d say probably about the time that $300,000 changes hands between parties involved in the decision.
I’m not really sure what’s hard about this?
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So what if it was 10 years ago instead of 5?
Should we have made a decision as a Club not to donate to a worthy community charity 5 years ago, just in case the womans Hubby was Mayor in half a decades time?
Should we not make any donations to local charities to avoid any possible conflicts in the future??
Most pertinently I suppose, … if the bloke recuses himself from voting just in case someone thinks there could be a bad perception, what then? Does the vote stay deadlocked in perpetuity?
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We should keep doing those worthy things. No point analysing all of the what ifs when the answer already exists. Sit this one out, Mr Mayor…
I imagine they’d have a mechanism, or there’d be further consultation / submissions until someone budges.
I’d actually think there would be a bigger conflict if the bloke was/is just a Mad Essendon supporter, … hell, if any on council voting were, … effectively voting on XX Millions of profit dollars flowing into THEIR Club.
Or, for that matter, if others on there were Flogs, or Fark Carltoners, and were voting on something that means so much money to one of their biggest rivals.
That is a definite COI.
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I really don’t have time to get into this one but can I just say that slippery slope arguments are the wooooooorst jesus christ fark
The Melton Council sound all over the shop. They voted unanimously 8-0 in favour of extending the lease LT back in December. A rescission motion is put forward & 4 councillors suddenly change their minds? The mayor steps in with his casting vote & the deal stays.
Given that Essendon’s donation to his wife’s NPO charity was 5-6 years ago, I find it difficult to believe that there is a conflict of interest involved. The mayor claims that his decision was based upon supporting the unanimous decision in December. Perhaps, he was miffed by the sudden backflip of the 4 councillors & wanted the Council to stick to its original course. Is that too difficult to accept?
Suggesting or implying a conflict of interest is questioning the integrity of the mayor. How easy is it to cast stones of impropriety at people these days?
Were the Council aware of a potential issue regarding Essendon’s donation to the mayor’s wife’s NPO? If yes, why didn’t they ask the mayor to excuse himself from the vote beforehand? Turner’s legal advice seems to be that it is no problem, so I’m not sure why others are so certain that a conflict existed.
I’m in the it’s a long bow to draw camp. Very reminiscent of the strands in the cable type argument.
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My research would be out of date in relation to your first point then.
You have no farking idea.
What textbook ? The only textbook is the Conflict of Interest provisions in the Local Government Act.
Whatever you, dingus, HM and Stephen Mayne perceive is your own opinion, which is clouded by your problem with poker machines.
Not at all.
All kinds of good people have conflicts of interest.
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Yeah, @SMJ, what would you know about legal principles?
And what the hell would I know about corporate governance?
Pfffffffffft! Bacchus, who wouldn’t be at all “clouded” by his experiences serving as a mayor, and obviously wouldn’t have a conflict of interest in suggesting the Mayor is above reproach, clearly sees this from a much clearer standpoint.
Sorry, @Bacchusfox, won’t happen again…
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You forgot to mention they every time someone mentions pokies he gets an unexplained boner
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Would said 300k to a charity count as one of the community benefits some believe don’t exist?
Only if it was directly from the Melton Country Club.
Which would be an even clearer cut conflict of interest than this one.
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With all due respect, I really don’t think you understand the legal definition of a conflict of interest. Any benefit in this case is remote, speculative & tenuous at best. If the mayor’s vote ‘resulted in’ a future financial benefit to his wife’s NPO, then yes, a conflict of interest is apparent. You could clearly link his decision to a financial benefit. But, the donation was 5-6 years ago, with no way of foreseeing the situation that has recently emerged. You are overreaching to make that leap & establish the conflict. I’m guessing his legal advice has followed a similar line.
Those passionately invested in the anti-pokies crusade are obviously gunna cry ‘conflict of interest’. You are too emotionally invested to separate the issues. I’m not a fan of pokies & trust we will eventually disassociate ourselves from them. I just can’t see the actual conflict in this case.
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Anyone have any info on the regularity or spread of the club making charitable donations of that approximate size or greater?
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Lol. That’s a bit rich coming from the anti pokies crusader.
He’s just you from a different perspective.
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How so? My understanding is that as part of the licencing agreement these clubs must show contributions to community benefiting schemes. Does a donation to a charity satisfy that requirement & if so how can it not be seen as a community benefit? The EFC is not a charity & as far as I’m aware don’t directly donate large sums of money to charities so without seeing the details of the transaction then I would have assumed the donation was from the profits of the Melton club including the gambling revenue. Even if the Mayor voted to continue the licence based solely on the knowledge that the club had donated directly to a charity he was aware of, its still not necessarily a conflict on interest if the Mayor can justify the donation as a benefit to the community. The licence staying with a licencee who you know donates to charity is a perfectly justifiable position over the licence going out to tender to another operator who’s record may be unknown.
The idea that we donated 300K 5 years ago just in case the Mayor was still in office & their vote became crucial & would have otherwise gone against us is so farcical I can’t believe some would swallow it.
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