Dear readers,
This topic is
off topic for AVM. Our sole aim, as described on the AVM website homepage, is to destroy the mad galahs.
Over the years the mad galahs, in their frenetic madness and sick mindset, have accused us of being RSL stooges and lackeys. Nothing is farther from the truth. We, and many of our supporters, have been working for many years to expose the RSL nationally for the fraud it is and for the corruption it allows in its ranks. Our allegations have always been directed at the RSL leadership. There are many fine ordinary members who work tirelessly for their fellow members and for those outside the RSL. However, true though this is, there are and have been ordinary members who, through their laziness and stupidity, have allowed corruption to flourish in the RSL leadership.
This RSL corruption goes back at least decades, and probably generations. We have, on several occasions, called for a Royal Commission, to expose the criminality and incompetence in the RSL leadership.
We feel that, though this subject has nothing directly to do with the mad galahs, that it is of public interest. We are therefore publishing below two (2) emails with names withheld, from whistleblowers which go a long way to beginning the process of revealing the criminality and incompetence of the RSL in general and the Qld State Branch in particular.
We exposed Keith Joyce of Rockhampton several years ago as engaging in crime and fraud and bullying behaviour when he was Rockhampton Sub Branch RSL President, but the matters in Rockhampton were covered up by Joyce's criminal mates at the Qld State HQ. His name we believe must be added to any investigation which may now follow the whistleblower exposures.
AVM.
20 September 2016
National President and All Qld RSL Sub Branches
Dear National President and Branch Secretaries
Taxation and Centrelink Fraud and Corruption Qld Headquarters RSL
We are a group of current Brisbane members of the Qld Branch of the RSL, some of us holding executive positions and it is with great sadness and much disgust that we write to you today.
Before we address a summary of the attached documents, we would like to give those of you who may be unaware some background of the seriousness of the issues in RSL HQ Brisbane. As many of you would know over the last 5 years the RSL general membership have become aware of the lack of transparency of accounting practices in the HQ with much comment, of corruption and secret commissions being paid to Directors and senior paid employees which could not be proven at that stage because of the incredible secrecy at ANZAC House. Why should there be secrecy in the RSL if everything is legal ?
As you know the RSL Qld has an operating budget of nearly $60million per year, run and owns the RSL Art Union, and is incorporated under the repealed Religious and Charitable Institutions Act and as a consequence falls outside the jurisdiction and oversight of the Qld Office of Fair Trade (OFT) or Australian Securities & Investment Commission (ASIC).
In our view one of the most concerning members is the former CEO of RSL Qld Chris McHugh who is or was living in Townsville. McHugh was paid in the order of $300,000 pa and was provided with or had a lease paid on a new Jaguar valued at over $100,000. McHugh was forced to resign in 2014 after being found guilty of bullying a staff member and it is rumoured that his contract was paid out for 5 years—a very considerable sum.
There have been many allegations that McHugh was a standover merchant and a bully. Investigations will show that he had an informant down on the Coast and another up in Townsville , who were being paid secret commissions for years to report on disgruntled members and therefore allowing McHugh to use our funds to bully and take legal action against outspoken members. These grubs are in receipt of Defence pensions which we believe are topped up or otherwise increased by Centrelink and they have NEVER paid tax on their secret commissions.
All Executive Directors have an UNAUDITED RSL credit card with a limit of a minimum of $5000 per month.
The matters which we raise in the following in relation to the attached documentation also relate to McHugh who was in his position for approximately 10 years and Terry Meehan who was State President or Board Member for also about 10 years. They received hundreds of thousands of dollars over that period ABSOLUTELY TAX FREE. And don’t forget those two were the only two Directors of Mates4Mates for years?
2.
The attached documents linked at the bottom of this email, were passed to one of our group anonymously and given the detail they contain it was probably a HQ staff member. We have numbered the pages 1-36 in the top left hand corner for ease of reference. As will be seen the Directors of RSL Qld have been avoiding
paying tax on all manner of monies paid to them and benefits such as cars – and this has been the case for decades and that they are aware of the illegality of their actions and are now trying to cover up. And the RSL has not been paying any FBT on the fleet of 20 odd cars used by the Directors.
In looking at these documents you will see the “Conclusion” at page 17 of the very thorough BDO Memo dated 23 September 2015 that ..”In the absence of other evidence it is our view that the board of directors will be considered employees rather than volunteers or contractors; and that a PAYG withholding event will arise for the monthly payments made.”.. We know that the production of acquittal invoices has never been required or provided. BDO are RSL Qld official auditors.
You will see that the Board is in panic mode and the reason for the panic becomes obvious when the extra fraud against Defence and Centrelink is considered. All but one or two of the Directors are in receipt of a Defence pension with most having it topped up by Centrelink to the level of the aged pension as a lump sum was originally taken by most with a reduced pension. The rest would all be on Centrelink benefits of some description.
The President, Stewart Cameron gets a tax free $1600 per month, Deputy Chairman Strachan $1300 per month, Vice Chairman Cameron $1000 per month down to District Presidents at $700 per month. That gives the State President $19,200 per annum on top of his pension, he drives a near new Chrysler 300c and has an UNAUDITED credit card limit of at least $5000 per month that is another $60,000 tax free per annum. In addition the Board members as District Presidents get paid another $500 per month that is $6000 p/a TAX FREE and unaudited. This would give Stewart Cameron a minimum of $85,200 tax free per annum, a fully maintained luxury vehicle not pooled but garaged at his home exclusively, all home phone and internet charges met and all mobile costs met.
John Strachan the Deputy President is in a similar position with a Defence pension and is driving a new RSL provided Jaguar garaged at his home and also has a credit card. He is reported to have been allowed to purchase McHugh’s RSL Jaguar for $4000. Can all RSL sub branch members please line up for the same. Do the sums -Strachan has been a Board member and or Deputy President for over 10 years and our calculations including the credit card rort show him to have earned nearly $800,000 tax free on top of his pension over that time.
Ewan Cameron, Vic Reading and the others are all complicit in this fraud and are enjoying the same Tax Free fraudulent benefits.
You will see from the documentation that the directors are now considering stating that all cars are pooled in an effort to again avoid tax. Not only is this completely untrue but one Board member, Max Foot, has three RSL cars garaged at his home. One he uses and his wife and daughter use the other two. Sub Branch wives line up here for your car !!!
We have also been advised by many sources that the unaudited credit cards are used for life style and home expenses with Energex bills being paid using the card, spouses vehicles fuelled and to beat any future audit, gift cards are purchased from Myers and Coles for $500 to $600 which are then used to purchase groceries from Coles and Woolworths and alcohol from Dan Murphy’s and First Choice.
3.
Page 36 contains one of the most disturbing of all statements. The “Stew” who sent the email is of course the State President Stewart Cameron a former RAAF officer who is now accused by his wife of being a wife beater and rorter of RSL funds –our funds- to finance an affair with a woman in Canberra. Can you believe that we have come to this that a RSL State President is an accused wife beater who has already been forced to compulsory domestic violence mediation ? You members knowing all about this is very definitely in the “public interest”
Attached in the documents is a copy of Cathy Cameron’s face book page on this whole sad matter. Read it and see if you think that this lady is making it all up as Cameron states. Also attached is a letter sent to some Sub Branches by a lady who is a serving member of the ADF and a RSL member. If any of you know who she is please make sure she gets a copy of this email.
Cameron’s statements at page 36 concerning the ..“no obligation by BDO to report”.. and …”Luke also understands the issues he confirmed with John (Strachan) Ewan (Cameron) and I that he would manage his staff and that there would be no reporting” clearly indicate a criminal
conspiracy to defraud the ATO, the Defence pensions and Centrelink as the “no reporting obviously relates to the ATO. Luke is obviously our new CEO Luke Traini.
They all completely betray the trust of the honest former ADF members who comprise the RSL membership and have an “up them” attitude to their responsibilities as Statutory Officers of an organisation with obligations under the Qld “Art Unions and Public Amusements Act 1992” and with special status with the ATO and under the Qld Charitable Institutions Collection Act.
Cameron’s final paragraph is worth quoting… “ I have chosen my words carefully for this email. Can I ask that you do not respond, and after reading, please delete this email. Culture: I don’t trust some staff”. Well it appears that some staff member has just gotten even and done their legal duty.
These tax cheats MUST NOT be allowed to use RSL funds to pay personal back tax previously avoided as they frantically try to cover up.
There is only one Board member who has opposed this culture of fraud and greed namely Peter Ryan from Moreton District. For his trouble Peter has been so badly bullied and harassed that over the last 10 days he has been hospitalised twice with mini strokes and his wife Tracy has had to take the matter to the Fair Work Commission. The Board however refuse to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Commission and is wasting more of our money continuing to pursue Peter. Yes you guessed it he has been issued with a show cause letter for “Conduct Unbecoming” and is due to face the Board this Monday 26 September. We must not allow this to happen to Peter and he would welcome some support and help.
With the Board positions being on something of an organised rotation basis and with the Board’s bullying use of the “conduct unbecoming” clause it is extremely difficult to get these fraudulent mongrels removed. These actions by these greedy self serving dogs are occurring at the same time that the recent major article in the Courier Mail shows that we have lost over 240 ADF or former ADF personnel as a result of PTSD in the last 15 years. If a fraction of what they are ripping off had been used for psychiatric intervention then we may have saved some of those veterans.
The Lawyers and Accountants among you will probably make even more of these documents then we laymen can.
4.
You, the membership, now need to rise up in mass so that the bullying “conduct unbecoming clause” can not be used against individuals. All these Board members should be forced to stand down immediately and be issued with “Show Cause Letters” and a Special Extraordinary meeting be conducted to pass the necessary Amendments to the Constitution to remove these rorting mongrels and repeal the appalling “Conduct Unbecoming” clause which has been used to stifle dissent and punish those trying to clean up corruption. TAKE BACK YOUR RSL you will not get another chance.
One suggestion made to our group is that Special Extraordinary Meetings be held of each District a vote of no confidence given to the existing President and new Presidents be elected which will then give us a brand new Board. This new Board can then take all the necessary action to remove Stewart Cameron and have him charged if necessary. The new Board could then conduct OPEN AND TRANSPARENT investigations of the rest of the old Board and clean up the sad sad mess that is now our RSL. The lawyers among you may have other suggested ways to deal with this matter.
National President we beseech you to step up and support any emerging group who tries to clean out our State Board and leadership. Are there RSL Constitutional ways that National can intervene ??
For the information of the Board—THE HORSE HAS BOLTED all the attached documentation is now in the hands of the ATO, Centrelink Fraud.
Finally as the RSL community please remember Cathy Cameron. She has been lied to, bashed, cheated on, lost a decades long marriage and is facing the rest of her life alone—all this within the RSL family. We hope that many RSL ladies out there will contact her and offer support and even you tough guys pick up the phone and show her that the RSL family does care. Please give her continuing care not just the odd phone call. You cannot be bullied for helping a battered wife.
yours sincerely
A very very disgusted and concerned group of RSL Members
Read the full story on this link below.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2NcYWerNeLwNlFLTW5ZTWlRRlU/view?usp=sharingFrom: *****
Date: 24 September 2016 at 18:38
Subject RSL in turmoil
Military family - I had this disturbing email come my way.... It is my opinion that it is an absolute disgrace and I feel as though action should be taken. You make your own mind up its my opinion from reading this there is a big cover up. Domestic violence and sexual favours and misappropriation of funds for a position on the board like I said make your own mind up. This lady who wrote the letter needs to be congratulated no wonder she wants to stay anonymous - she'd be kicked out of defence.
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Subject: The Sydney Morning Herald Digital Edition: Government seeks advice on RSL audit
This article is from the September 29 issue of The Sydney Morning Herald Digital Edition. To subscribe, visit
http://smh.com.au/digitaledition.
Exclusive
David Wroe
National security correspondent
Spending review Intervention option
The NSW government is looking at whether it needs to intervene in the state branch of the RSL’s financial management after the veterans ’ organisation revealed it would launch a forensic audit amid concerns of possible fraud.
Veterans Affairs Minister David Elliott told Fairfax Media on Wednesday that he is seeking legal advice on whether the government is obliged to step in.
The NSW branch of the RSL is, unlike other state branches, incorporated by an act of Parliament.
Mr Elliott’s comments followed a report by Fairfax Media that the NSW branch is preparing to launch a forensic audit of the past seven years’ spending by its senior leadership.
‘‘ I am aware of the allegations reported today regarding the financial management of the NSW RSL and have sought legal advice to determine the state’s obligations pursuant to the Returned and Services League of Australia (New South Wales Branch) Incorporation Act 1935 and associated acts,’’ he said.
Because it is incorporated, the NSW RSL is subject to laws such as the Corporations Act and the Conveyancing Act.
Glenn Kolomeitz, the branch’s chief executive who called for the forensic audit at a meeting of the state council a week ago, said he did ‘‘ not believe that intervention to that extent is warranted in NSW’’ . But he welcomed ‘‘ any dialogue with Minister Elliott concerning how RSL NSW can continually improve its governance and financial management processes including compliance with our obligations under charitable trusts’’ .
He said Mr Elliott was a supporter of the league as a veteran and RSL member himself. He said he was keen to talk to the minister about a planned ‘‘ impact investing model ... which will make better use of our financial resources in the provision of services to veterans and their families’’ .
Mr Kolomeitz separately told the ABC that the audit would look at ‘‘ things like cash withdrawals or ... inappropriate use of resources or use of credit cards inappropriately ... potentially anything that could suggest at the high end, criminality, fraud or concealing fraud [and] at the lower end, inappropriate use of funds which we should and must address as an organisation .’’
The audit would cover the volunteer members of the 13-strong council and the paid executives. It still needs the green light of the council.
Fairfax Media has spoken to RSL members who expressed dissatisfaction that the broader organisation – which is made up of about 360 sub-branches statewide that report to the NSW state council – is sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars cash that could be used for helping veterans.
Norbert Keough, a former director of RSL Veterans Centre East Sydney and former NSW member of the organisation, said financial transparency within the organisation was woeful and not enough money was getting to needy veterans.
‘‘ A forensic audit is a good start,’’ he said. ‘‘ When I was director of the RSL Veterans Centre East Sydney we had very serious shortcomings in funding from the RSL. This was very frustrating because collective sub-branches have hundreds of millions of dollars.’’
Mr Keough, who has been calling for some years for greater transparency within the NSW RSL, said he believed the RSL Act should be strengthened to give Parliament greater oversight of the organisation and improve accountability.
Copyright © 2016 The Sydney Morning Herald
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