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Community need answers on issues at Redfern AMS
by Ray Jackson 18 May 2014
M
edia reports over the last few months have brought us news of alledged acts of fraud, graft, corruption and general malfeasance in the areas of politics and business. Such deeds must not exist without there being a full and open public investigation and where malfeasance is found to have occurred then the appropriate legal remedies must be found and the organisation returned to full governance compliance. From time to time reports are brought to public attention of when Aboriginal organisations, who are government funded, either state or federal, also have that corruptive tendency to look after themselves, their families and friends more
Ray Jackson
than those community members for which they receive funding. We need and must recognise that some of our people are also corrupted by positions of power and money. I am greatly distressed when these events are raised and proven. Funding of Aboriginal organisations is meant for those community members and communities to
better their environments, whether in health, housing, legal, etc, and not for personal enrichment. I do not expect others to work merely for the cause but there must be a limit to the supposed perks of office. Corruption for our people is a learned process but it is proven often that some of our people learn very quickly. One reason given is that the monies and perks are theirs by right because of their skin colour and/or of the circumstances of our black and white history! Rubbish! It is just greed and corruption. They rob not the government but their own without care or concern. And that is inexcusable regardless of the argued circumstances. The report on May 7 in The Australian Uneven flow of benefits by Paul Cleary, clearly shows
Ray Jackson asks Sol Bellear, Chairman Redfern AMS, to call a community meeting to answer questions raised in his opinion piece. Image: The Australian
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that executive and board people were bespoke of member rorts in some areas and jobs with high salaries abound yet it appears that seemed to allegedly go to neither the government or family members and friends the regulating body, the regardless of levels of Office of the Registrar of competence for the required Indigenous Corporations position, and pushing other or ORIC, that is headed by competent job seekers. Anthony Bevan, displays Personally I took no the slightest concern at the notice of these rumours rorts and self-enrichment of believing that if any those executives and boards problems did occur at involved. board level that those with I believe this report the powers to do so would is not for a government do something about it. funded organisation as its When I was involved with millions of dollars comes the Aboriginal Deaths in from mining royalties. Custody Watch Committee Perhaps this accounts for we had a budget of over the lack of interest shown Ray Jackson raises questions about the $90,000 sponsorship half a million dollars. of Greg Iglis, South Sydney superstar fullback, by the Redfern Peanuts relative to the by Bevan or the government AMS. Image: Herald Sun concerned. The puerile AMS but even the Watch excuses put forth by ORIC was beset by rumours of Either ORIC is made to do it’s spokespersons is nothing less than misspent funds, nepotism, etc, all tasks of overseeing Aboriginal and insulting and these rorts must quite groundless, of course, but Torres Strait Islander organisations not be allowed to continue at the merely because another group of to stop corruption or it must be expense of those who are outside of shut down and that role be returned individuals coveted our assets but the trough and are in the direst need to the Australian Securities not the work we were doing. Watch of assistance. committees 1 and 2 operated within and Investment Commission. Whilst I have no problem, the strict rules of governance whilst Fraud, graft and corruption are unlike Warren Mundine, with an sadly watch 3 and 4 were beset by not restricted to non-Aboriginal Aboriginal corporations regulatory governance problems that had been organisations and they are crimes body overseeing Aboriginal whether the perpetrator(s) are black forewarned and were shut down by corporations, I do believe that the funding body. or white. regulatory body must not allow However, some days ago I There is currently an Aboriginal self-enrichment and corruption was given a page of complaints organisation that is now under both to continue. These executive or allegations that raised some the community spotlight and also and board members must be startling claims of how the AMS the Federal Department of Health stood aside, without salary or was currently being run, or not run, is enquiring whether medicare compensation, as it is much easier dependent on whom you wish to funds are paying Greg Inglis up to to repay than to repeal, whilst full believe. $90,000 per year (Medical service and open investigations are held The list does, however, trouble deal with league star Greg Inglis by and the guilty are charged with the Saffron Howden, Adrian Proszenko me in several ways even though I appropriate corruption offences. have decided to release it further. and Brad Walter, League News, The ORIC report is not all that Four very good doctors have left May 9). uncommon. Over the years since over the machinations of the board The Aboriginal Medical Service the Gough Whitlam government to allegedly cut visit times and Redfern Co-operative Limited is introduced ongoing funding for workers are allegedly being warned the organisation being targeted. Aboriginal organisations there has There has been rumours over the to hush up about the proposed been those who believe that they changes and the allegations. The years of things allegedly not being are somehow more worthy than better to protect the function of the run properly, governance-wise, by others of their own kind and forget the AMS. It was said that board executive and the board. There is, that their role is meant to better the meetings, if and when held, were as they say, troubles in paradise lives of those for which funding is and any problems must be aired in restrictive or that community input granted and not just themselves and was not possible. Alleged very public in the community, and made their family members. public quickly. high salaries for some favoured
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I believe that CEO’s personal health status should not have been made public; the alleged appointment of the sister of the Chairperson most definitely raises concerns of governance even if endorsed by the board and members; alleged workplace appointments made without advertisement, if true, and who are alleged to be personal friends of a staff member, raises problems also of strict governance principles; payments made to Greg Inglis whilst possibly of a health nature are excessive and are being investigated, as reported in the League News; the relationship between Greg and board members needs investigation; all salaries and allowances mentioned in the list of complaints, to me and some others, are totally out of community understanding. In the interest of balance also see the two page reply from Sol Bellear [reported in First Nations Telegraph http://goo.gl/9p7hJu] who does not answer any of the allegations made against the AMS executive and board. Instead Sol relies on pointing out that if we do not recognise where the AMS came from then somehow it will be lost. Whilst the history is well known the future most definitely is not. Nostalgia, jingoism of a racial nature and offers of a private explanation answer no concerns whatsoever. They merely smack of a cover-up. It seems to me that some doctors, at least, allegedly had concerns with the proposed doctor/patient timing that was being put to them whereby they would be restricted by only being able to spend up to 15 minutes for each patient. Our people, especially our Elders, are the sickest in this country and quite a few would require longer
consultations. Hence the current unrest allegedly causing the four doctors to leave. Sol argues that this change was brought about by patient complaints of waiting times and the attempt to address those waiting times. Some others have suggested other reasons more of a monetary nature. I admit I do not know the truth of the matters but it goes without saying that someone, or more, within the AMS has used that proposed change to air the other allegations. Sol is right however in that the AMS was set up under racial duress and a fair few good people worked hard for no personal recompense ‘for our community, by our community’. I am surprised at the low key recognition given to the many non-Aboriginal professionals that contributed much over the years, and still do, to the ongoing success of the AMS. The push for Aboriginal doctors to work at the AMS is also an admirable cause but they never have before so why should they now? I am amazed at the commitment of those doctors already at the AMS who are working for far less than the salaries mentioned in the list of complaints. I am glad that Sol has made the offer of an avenue to obtain information about the allegations and concerns arising from the actions of the executive and the board but the avenue is very restrictive. Any access to information must be done by the executive and full board making themselves available to the members, including me as a patient of the AMS (as described by Chairman Sol) and to the Aboriginal community of the area. I ask Sol that he arrange that meeting, as soon as possible, but
at least within the next four weeks, with the sole purpose of answering the allegations in full, the public tabling of the latest audit report, the AMS Co-operative Limited constitution and a full explanation of the current arrangements being planned for the future operation of the AMS. I argue that sentiment must be fully recognised and a full public enquiry must be held to satisfy our community that our AMS is indeed being managed properly. As Sol highlighted, ‘by the community, for the community’. There are so many questions that need to be answered and I will send to the Chairman, Sol Bellear, and the acting chief executive officer, Ms. Laverne Bellear, those questions on notice of a community meeting being called. I would much rather the governance and operational problems of the AMS executive and board be aired in the community than elsewhere. One question, however, does arise from the arrangements made with Greg Inglis. The article claims that the AMS was paying Greg Inglis $90 000 per year. Greg’s manager swears that he was only getting $75 000. Did Greg make a $15 000 donation back to the AMS annually or, indeed, to an unknown person? Just so many questions, Sol. Call the meeting, Mr Chair! Shortly we will be looking at the Redfern Housing Company and the revelation made recently that there will be ‘no black housing at the block’. I am informed that there is to be a community meeting on the Block on Sorry Day, Monday 26 May. I think the Sunday, 25 May, would allow more of the original tenants to be involved but this is not an ISJA event. Merely a suggestion.
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