State Government
KEEPING IT REAL ON POKIES: Moral panic on pokies continues to scale absurd heights
Gambling addiction is a serious problem and it’s right that addicts are given every assistance to beat their problem. Suggesting only pokies players are victim to it is clearly wrong according to every serious study of gambling and the double standards of some in the media over other forms of gambling where the “losses” are even greater than pokies reveals a silly moral panic over poker machines that needs to stop.
Australians spend $12 billion on pokies a year, an apparently gravely serious matter that is a sign of moral decline, gambling addiction, the gutting of the working class etc., according to some know-alls.
$12 billion certainly sounds like a lot. And – of course – The Age splashes today with shock new revelations about how much and where the loot is lost.
It makes the stunning new discovery that battlers in Dandenong bet more on pokies than toffs from Toorak. Stunningly VEXNEWS can reveal that Toorak has more people losing money to single malt scotch whisky traffickers than prevail in Dandenong. We can also reveal – not for the first time – that people can get addicted to single malt scotch. There is no current push for single malt to be outlawed, rationed or for its drinkers to enter pre-commitment ID card systems were the drinkers would nominate how much they wanted to drink over a year.
Given the hysteria about pokies we thought we should find out how much is lost on the kind of the gambling The Age doesn’t whine about, but actually massively promotes with extensive advertorial, horse racing and greyhounds racing, sports that pretty much only exists because of gambling. During Spring Racing in particular, The Age endlessly promotes the gambling fest. It also makes repeated references to betting on horses, greyhounds and sports including odds and betting turnover and price movements and such. They also accept money from bookies and gambling providers.
Despite it costing punters many billions more than pokies the moral panic brigade who tut-tut about pokies have very little to say about other forms of gambling that are apparently more socially acceptable.
One anti-pokies campaigner, a long-term unemployed former journalist Stephen Mayne distinguished himself during the recent Melbourne by-election by persistently offering bets with people on the outcomes of political events. He apparently always welshes on these bets but that’s a story for another time.
Of course, it wasn’t always that way before pokies. Once militant ‘wowsers’ (particularly in Melbourne for some reason) loudly campaigned against what they say as the spread of insidious gambling on horses. Their narrative, about the impact on working people, the incidence of gambling addiction, the decline of moral standards, was not greatly different from the message of anti-pokies loons now.
Gambling addiction is a dreadful and insidious thing. There are plenty of people who’ve been addicted to betting on horses. Every assistance ought be available to help them out. But suggesting there’s something inherently addictive in pokies gambling or horse racing or sports betting is a nonsense that is completely unsupported by evidence.
And it’s true to say that Australian pokies players are some of the highest taxed gamblers in the world, something that doesn’t hurt operators or venue owners (their profit is the same regardless of tax increases, it comes from how much is returned to players as ‘winnings’). Those really concerned with the impact of pokies on players would be pushing for a reduction in the taxes not for bizarre proposals like ID-cards for pokies players or other measures that will do nothing to address the sad fact that some people will get addicted to things that in moderation are perfectly healthy but in excess can be very damaging.
UPDATE: VEXNEWS did once enjoy a bit of biff between bloggers so it came as a rare treat (we have scared so many away, we seem to have very few to play with these days) to be the subject of a counter-takedown by a gambling addict (and “reformer”) who insisted that we:
■ Are smug; and
■ Incorrectly compared racing etc. turnover with pokies losses and as such were not comparing apples with apples because he says we ought to have compared racing etc. losses with pokies losses.
The first point we make is that this Tom Cummings is a civilian – while not being especially civil – so we will refrain from making a reciprocal smugness claim and stay focused on the issues.
While it’s true that (gross) pokies turnover is a different (obviously much greater) number from (net) pokies losses, it’s also true that comparing (net) gambling losses with pokies losses is also not comparing apples with apples.
That’s because there’s plenty of smart money in horses, greyhounds and sports betting, that is ‘well informed’ money bet by all sorts of people who – if securities laws applied – would be considered to be trading on ‘inside information.’
Gambling addicts – who are supposedly the focus of the concern of the moral panic brigade in gambling – are almost always not in this category. By reason of their addiction, they tend to do everything possible to lose. And they do. Which is our point. All gambling, even Scratchies, can be the catalyst for addiction. So can many other types of behaviour from junk food eating to TV viewing or – dare we say it – internet surfing (no offence to those reading).
There is no smart money in pokies. There are no strategies one can sensibly adopt to “win”. It is – for those who like it and that doesn’t include us – a cheap and harmless form of entertainment for most players. But those who think they can be better informed than other players about ‘hot’ machines or whatever are not familiar with the random programming that underpins them. While some chase jackpots and try to game them, it’s all part of the entertainment and remains very, very random.
The difference is highlighted by MONA founder and professional gambler David Walsh who has recently been defended in the press by Greensparty politicians for not paying tax on his multi-billion dollar gambling enterprise.
As VEXNEWS understands it, Walsh makes his coin from smart money and mathematically clever bets on horse racing and keno.
Does he bet on pokies? No.
Walsh and his syndicate members have made hundreds of millions of dollars in profits, it is widely believed.
So Mr Cummings is right that a turnover number is different from a losses number. But he’s not right about comparing the losses numbers in the different types of gambling. He ignores the simple fact that – within Australian gambling markets (other than pokies) – there is a considerable redistribution of money from the dumb (including addicts and mug punters who love it and aren’t harmed by it) to the smart.
And while we would normally defer to a gambling addict’s knowledge of the industry, he does not acknowledge this redistribution or perhaps hadn’t given it thought.
The truth is that our central argument stands regardless of the numbers he cites.
Gambling is a cheap form of entertainment for most players, pokies included.
We’re not opposed to regulation of it. We’re not opposed to restricting it. We’re not opposed to being mindful of the consequences of gaming addiction for addicts and their loved ones.
We will always be opposed to those who denounce the pursuits of working people as villainous while not imposing the same standards of righteousness to the passions of the rich.
That’s what we find most troubling about the pokies debate. While Mr Cummings – as a recovering addict – is no doubt sincere in his passion to clamp down on what ailed him (with the zealousness of the convert perhaps), most of the moral panic brigade are not like him. They are judgmental preachy folk who think they know better than the people of Dandenong about what is legitimate entertainment for them.
In per hour terms, going to the opera is undoubtedly more expensive for most players than hanging out at a local pub, having a drink and a play of the pokies.
And yet The Age – and their ilk – would think Joe Bloggs of Dandy going to the opera would be a very righteous thing indeed. They would not worry that he might not be able to afford it. They would not speculate or worry that its operatic enticements could seduce Mr Bloggs into addiction.
They would smile patronisingly, hoping the savage could be become somewhat more noble or enlightened by the experience.
That’s our beef with those who think they know better than everyone else, with its consequent effect on public policy, nanny-state measures like insisting that pokies players be issued with a federal government-issued ID card that would monitor how much they bet, when, where and refer to a database so that they could be prevented from gambling if they exceeded a certain limit.
That’s the issue of principle that’s up for discussion. It’s a much bigger issue than comparing turnover with losses and accepting that horse racing losses are clearly not the same as pokies losses.
It’s about what kind of society we all choose to live in. And while we can do our best to save people from themselves and minimise harm, we cannot obliterate the risk of gambling addiction without ultimately outlawing gambling completely, and even then that would depend on absolutely effective enforcement. It’s clear enough that that’s the political objective of those who denounce pokies as an evil on a par with chemically addictive tobacco.
Society has its meddlers. They mostly mean well. But what underpins their meddling is a passionate belief that they know best. And that they can make personal judgments about what’s a socially desirable form of entertainment and what’s not.
In their mind, there is culturally good and culturally bad entertainment: Pokies bad, Crown Casino very bad, Zoo Weekly vile, footy tips betting fine, Melbourne Cup Spring Racing good, opera great, Pilates classes best, The Age Epicure section and the Moroccan Soup Kitchen in Fitzroy the apex of human civilisation.
It’s a patronising, elitist view that The Age have championed for decades now and they will presumably still be championing when their last edition rolls off the presses.
If dumb money losses are enough to sustain a moral panic in pokies, they consistently ought to provoke the same concern about horse racing. They certainly used to but the wowsers moved on to a new target. Ignoring the long history of moral panics around gambling means that we are misled into thinking this is all new and a very modern issue. It’s not. It’s the same logic and the same nonsense that led to the Prohibition of alcohol, a weird movement that occurred not that long ago, in the lives of our grand-parents and great grand-parents.
And while we acknowledge Mr Cummings makes a superficially attractive argument about numbers (while not acknowledging the redistribution of income from dumb to smart), fundamentally he and those like him who think they know best are trying to re-shape the world to suit the tiny minority of people who are prone to addictive behaviours. The Age doesn’t even have that going for them: they’re just a bunch of snobs, hypocrites and know-alls. We will not miss them.
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VEXNEWS QRCode Information
Australians spend more than ten times more on horses & sports betting than on pokies
The Productivity Commission report states that in the 2008/09 period for Australia, player expenditure (actual money lost by people, therefore the gambling industry’s revenue) for all forms of gambling was just over 19 billion dollars. Of that, 12 billion was expenditure on poker machines and close to 3 billion was expenditure on wagering and sports betting combined. The other 4 billion went on lottery products etc. Therefore, what people expended on wagering and sports betting combined is only about a quarter of that which is expended on pokies. So, how can what you say be correct. If you are comparing some sort of turnover figure to the loss/spend figure of 12 billion on pokies then that is completely misleading.
I’m really conflicted on poker machines. On the one hand they are actually legislated to return to the player a higher percentage (min about 85-90%)than most other gambling. On the other hand they are a continuous gamble. You don’t need to wait for the next race or lotto draw.
If you start with $100 and assume the 85% return you get back $85. Gamble the $85 and get back $72, etc until you’ve got $1 which either wins or loses.
The rot began when hotels were allowed to own pokies. Instead of the returns being put back into the clubs’ membership it began to disappear into the profit columns of the big hoteliers.
Bring in a $1 limit and it will go a long way to solving the problem – and there is a problem.
Dear Vex, please have a look at the difference between turnover and losses and try again.
Please note our response in the UPDATE above. Our point remains.
Vexnews said, “We’re not opposed to regulation of it. We’re not opposed to restricting it. We’re not opposed to being mindful of the consequences of gaming addiction for addicts and their loved ones.”
If you are not opposed to these issues, why are you opposed to seeing sensible regulations and restrictions that might create safer poker machines, yet limit their profits?
An excellent casino gambling ‘user pays’ system is applied in Singapore. Every casino gambler pays a casino entry levy…It better covers the huge social costs of gambling, especially machine-gambling. Singapore admits that ordinary gambling taxes are inadequate to cover the burden of cost that taxpayers must pay. Singapore also acknowledges that a levy can deter those who cannot afford to gamble. It also stops people on government-supported incomes from using the casinos…for obvious reasons! WHY should every worker pay for a person to not work…and gamble at the same time…on workers’ hard-earned money?
Would Vexnews support that system? Or does Vexnews support ‘all rights and no responsibility?’ including the right to inflict savage harms on untold, unmeasured numbers of Australians? Addicts harm around 10 other innocent people…they have NO right to do it with your blessing!
Consider these facts. The Australian poker machine gambling industry pulls in excess of $12 billion expenditure annually. It says it is responsible…and it says that it is highly regulated.
That industry serves an anonymous market that it says [with NO proof] only produces a small number of problem gamblers. I do not give a toss what ‘estimates’ are made. They are already proven by the ABS to be wrong…yet the gambling industry clings to such rubbish to suit its business plan.
That industry gives NO proof of spending, no transaction records forpokies gamblers, all under guise of ‘protecting its customer privacy’? What utter rot…it is protecting its own lack of transparency as an industry.
The pokies gambling industry employs less than half the number of employees, as the industries it chokes out so it actually kills net job opportunities. Yet we respect its value? Value to whom, may we ask??
So an industry who serves a faceless crowd, without any ‘check/balance’ proof of customer spending, without any clear measure of the harm that its services might be inflicting, whilst killing job opportunities…is asking for tolerance as a ‘responsible’ industry?
It is an absolute con…and the sooner we see through the nonsense of pokies, the better we will all be. Bring in $1 limits, shorter venue hours, customer pre-commitment / ID in a ‘user pays’ format…and fundamentally also make the gambling machine less addictive/deceptive…or accept that Australians will not be ridden roughshod over, forever. We WILL BAN pokies eventually…the clock IS ticking!
The fact is that pokie machine is an ENTERTAINMENT for the elderly and other people. It is no different then going to cinema, going to a play
I do not see any different between someone losing $100 at the casino or a girl spending $100 (or $1000) on their 80th bag or shoes
Both of them are problems, both of them makes a person haappy, they might be happier with the extra $100 in their pocket, but in both cases it is that person’s choice
Private and Confidential for SSAA (VIC) members only. Without Prejudice.
Dear SSAA (VIC) Member,
We have currently SSAA (VIC) Board Elections in progress, there is information we feel you should know while making up your mind who to vote for. There is a serious breakdown of cooperation within the SSAA (VIC) Board caused by some members refusing to accept decisions they don’t like.
After reading the following email message sent by Board member Mr Dean Mighell to SSAA (VIC) Members, Branches and Sub-Clubs, we feel the need to reply and present a very different view to what has clearly been an attempt to divide.
Here is the email Mr Mighell sent to SSAA(VIC) Branches, Sub-Clubs and Members:
Date: Tue, 22 May 2012 01:01:56 -0700
From: december1854@yahoo.com.au
Subject: RE: SSAA Member Communications
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Day xxxxxxxxx,
I have deliberated long and hard about contacting you regarding the lack of communication between the State Executive Committee, the Branches and Sub Clubs. I read your article in the last Vic Shooter, I was torn between Board solidarity and a duty to the members. My duty to the members must prevail.
I appreciate the efforts you have gone to in an attempt to have the members of the SSAA informed about the dealings of the State Executive Committee (SEC). I chair the Eagle Park Range Advisory Committee (EPRAC) and the sub clubs are also of the same view in wanting to be informed of decisions of the SEC. I am taking a motion on their behalf to the next SEC meeting asking for “all key decisions taken by the Board be distributed to the Branches and Sub Clubs.”
When the SEC deals with matters of a sensitive nature that may involve someone’s privacy, I have a view that this is not a matter for the general distribution. An example may be a health issue of an employee, work cover claim or disciplinary matter. I don’t think the members would expect us to inform them on these matters but they are few and far between.
Since being elected as a Director of the SSAA Vic late last year, I am continually amazed that the view of some Directors (not all) seems to be that they are there to tell the members what to do rather than act for the members interests. This appears to me to be long standing practise and a wrong one. In my full time job in a member based organisation, I operate on the principal that the more information and involvement the members have, the better informed they will be and the stronger the SSAA as a result.
Amongst the issues of concern I have is the total lack of a communications strategy for the SSAA both internal and external. This goes to the internal communications between the SEC, management, sub clubs, Branches and the general membership. Importantly, we have no external communications strategy to deal with critical issues that emerge in the media and at political levels. When I raise these matters at the SEC they are virtually ignored as was your request for information. The Vic Shooter is an ideal mechanism to publish key decisions of the Board and SEC matters that do not involve “privacy” can be sent out to Branches and Sub Clubs via email once the relevant Minutes are confirmed by the SEC.
I had also asked why Directors emails can not be published on our web site so that members, branches and sub clubs can contact us directly. I was told by a Director that the “nut cases” would send you emails all the time”. I was stunned. Perhaps the members could get an answer from THEIR Association unlike the thousands of emails that were unopened at SSAA HQ whist Don Piccoli was CEO. Thousands of members and potential members emailed the SSAA Vic and they went unanswered, I kid you not.
xxxxxxx , my frustrations are many from the SSAA Vic still not even having a Budget, indecision, no communications strategy, no appointed CEO yet amongst many other matters of serious concern.
Without massive change at the Board level and the recruitment of Directors with skill and commitment to the members, we shall be borderline dysfunctional. SSAA elections are coming up and the members have an opportunity to elect the type of Directors so desperately needed for the SSAA to get its act together. The SSAA Vic can be a strong force for our member’s rights and sport, it is not a lost cause yet.
I am happy to discuss this with you any time and would welcome the opportunity to attend your Branch meeting and have the opportunity of hearing from your branch members direct and answering any questions they have in relation to the SSAA. Feel free to contact any of the sub clubs at Eagle Park to get a view on my actions to date.
Kindest regards,
Dean Mighell
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This is a false report. It contains many statements which are not only far from the truth, but are outright lies. There are interests at stake here that are NOT beneficial to the SSAA (VIC).
We dislike going outside the Board with Board problems, but this email has forced us to do so as we cannot stand by and let these claims go unchallenged and corrected. The members have every right to know the facts and the full details of what is going on with their board.
Current SSAA (VIC) Board members are called failures on all sorts of subjects. Therefore:
IT IS TIME TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
Mr Karel Zegers has been appointed by the majority of the SSAA (VIC) SEC as President. He did not seek this position, but when the then President un-expectedly resigned, it was Mr Zegers duty as Senior Vice President to succeed to the vacant position. This is a widely accepted way of succession in all Business and Association environments. Since the SSAA (VIC) Constitution is silent about this particular event, then normal methods of procedure are adopted and immediately come into play. There was no time to make any other arrangement because this happened 2 days before the SSAA National Board meeting and 3 days before the 2012 SSAA National AGM.)
However, this procedure was disputed by Board member Mr Dean Mighell. In particular:
A: Mighell disputed that: Mr Karel Zegers was acting President.
(Please note, at the time, Mr Karel Zegers assumed the ROLE, NOT the Position nor the Title of President.)
B: Mighell disputed that: Mr Karel Zegers, as Acting President, also would be the Senior Delegate to the SSAA National Board Meeting (1 day later) and the SSAA National AGM (2 days later!).
C: Mighell disputed that: We were in order or allowed to act as per a motion taken by the Victorian board in how our full complement of votes was to be directed at the National AGM.
(These votes are to elect the Senior Positions to the SSAA National Board.)
As these issues needed urgent resolve, due to the SSAA National Board Meeting the next day and the SSAA Nat AGM the day thereafter, Mr Zegers emailed the 10 SSAA Board members asking them to vote on those 3 issues. The Board members voted 7 out of 10 confirming the above three questions in the affirmative.
It is common practice to vote by email on an issue like this.
Furthermore, the SSAA VIC Constitution is SILENT about the succession issue so we simply followed what is normal practice where this point is covered in other similar organisations. Therefore it is not unconstitutional to follow normal standard practice.
Mr Mighell then demanded that a special meeting was called to again discuss the voting issue. Never mind we already spent 2 previous meetings discussing that issue and as far as we were concerned there was nothing to discuss. All we needed to do was follow what would be common standard procedure. Mr Mighell seems to think that when he doesn’t agree with a decision, he can just demand that we all roll up again at yet another meeting so he can have a third try at trying to bend things into some kind of twisted way to suit his hidden agenda.
Mr Mighell then turned up at the hotel the night before the National AGM was held and proceeded and tried to convince Mr Zegers to ignore the directors motion on how to cast the Victorian allotment of votes for the National Board Positions. When Mr Zegers refused to ignore his board members vote and to violate a properly constituted motion, Mr Mighell became abusive and tried to intimidate Mr Karel Zegers. (Reference: 1a-See: REPORT SSAA NATIONAL AGM 27 APRIL 2012 MELBOURNE.)
Things said were:
“Are you on a power trip now, Karel?
“You will never be re-elected as President.”
Mr Zegers did not buckle under the pressure, knowing he was duty bound to follow the decision of the motion passed by the Board on the 19th of April 2012. As we all know, a motion is a binding agreement and must be followed. It can’t be broken at the whim of one person. But that didn’t seem to worry Mr Mighell, he invented his own rules and interpretation of the Constitution.
Then, at the start of the SSAA National AGM meeting, Mr Mighell put the Victorian Delegation’s Senior Delegate’s position in dispute. The full chain of events at that meeting is listed in the following section
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Report on the SSAA Nat AGM where the Victorian Delegation lost 9 out of its 15 vote entitlement which ultimately got Mr Bob Green re-elected as Nat SSAA President.
REPORT SSAA NATIONAL AGM 27 APRIL 2012 MELBOURNE.
Friday Night 26 April:
The night before the SSAA National AGM: Board members Dean Mighell, Greg Moon and Jeff Kuyken turn up at the hotel and begin badgering Acting President Karel Zegers about the voting as agreed upon in a motion at the SEC meeting of 19-4-12.
Dean Mighell pushes for a change of the voting because: “Alan Stoops has resigned therefore the motion must be changed as he is not on the board anymore”.
When Karel Zegers told Dean Mighell that this was not possible as the decision was taken by the board through a motion Dean Mighell became agitated and abusive, and claimed that Karel Zegers had no Constitutional position as Acting President or Senior Delegate.
Saturday morning 27 April:
Dean Mighell, Greg Moon and Jeff Kuyken turn up at the hotel breakfast table and badger Karel Zegers and Zdenka McCaskill to change the voting allocation as decided per motion on 19-4-12
Dean Mighell tries to intimidate Karel Zegers by saying that:” You will suffer the consequences and you won’t be elected as President”.
Dean Mighell also uses abusive language: “Karel Zegers is a: Power Hungry Monkey, Karel is on a power trip” and other insulting language.
Meeting Starts:
At the start of the SSAA National AGM Dean Mighell declares a point of order: “The Victorian Delegations situation with regard to the Senior Delegate is unclear. Mr. Karel Zegers is not the Senior Delegate. This needs to be clarified.”
Karel Zegers countered that the position was very clear as 7 out of 10 SSAA (VIC) Board members had voted on and agreed by email that Karel Zegers was the “Acting President”, the “Senior Delegate” and that the voting was to be as per the motion taken on 19th April 2012
Dean Mighell insists that the Vic Constitution did not allow this.
Karel Zegers counters that the Vic Constitution is silent on the issue and that therefore the worldwide convention that the Vice President (at least temporarily) fills the position to guarantee continuity is completely valid.
The National President Bob Green said that this situation would be a “Legal Minefield, because SSAA (VIC) is a company, unlike the other State SSAA groups which are associations”.
When questioned, Green did not explain what that “Minefield” would be.
Karel Zegers countered that it was not going to be a legal issue as the issue had been resolved internally by Victoria.
The Chairman/National President Bob Green suggested that the Vic Delegates should confer and come to a solution.
This came to nothing as Dean Mighell did not want the Victorian vote to go as per the standing motion of 19th April 12.
(Please note that Karel Zegers was bound by this motion.)
Dean Mighell also asserted as one Vic Board member failed to expressly confirm Karel Zegers as Senior Delegate, Karel Zegers’s position as such was unclear. (Notwithstanding that even then there still was a majority of 1.)
Karel Zegers countered that that would be nit-picking as it was clear what the majority of the Vic board wanted.
Karel Zegers also (multiple times) told the Chairman that he was in a conflict of interest as this dispute was about votes and he was a candidate at this election. The Chairman’s reply was: “I don’t think so”.
The Chairman/Nat President Bob Green directed Karel Zegers to:
“Go away and return with the proof that the Vic Board wants Karel Zegers to be the Acting President AND Senior Delegate”.
Karel Zegers and Zdenka McCaskill went outside the meeting room and managed to get the “missing” statements by email. When this evidence was presented to the Chairman he refused to take that into account:
“Because he was now waiting for Legal Advice from the National SSAA Solicitor” He had adjourned the meeting for an hour to allow that to happen.
After the recess the Chairman/National President Bob Green made a “ruling” based on “legal advice” that the Victorian Delegation was to have only 6 votes instead of the 15 votes the Vic Delegation is legally entitled to. Karel Zegers demanded to have a written copy of the “Legal Advice” as soon as possible.
It must be noted that during this AGM Meeting the then National Snr Vice President Mr. Peter Moran and the National Secretary Ms. Diana Melham repeatedly notified the Chairman/National President Bob Green that the SSAA National Constitution did NOT allow the vote allocation of any state to be reduced, but his reply was that only his interpretation of the Constitution was valid.
Phil Brown (VIC) moved a motion to have the meeting allow the position of Karel Zegers to be as claimed by the Vic Delegates Karel Zegers, Zdenka McCaskill and Phil Brown.
The motion was voted on, but because the Victorian Delegation was only allowed 6 instead of its allocated 15 votes the motion was lost.
Karel Zegers moved a motion to rescind the Chairman’s Ruling and also reiterated the Chairman was in a conflict of interest. The motion was voted on, but again, because the Vic Delegation was only allowed 6 votes the motion was lost.
Karel Zegers then moved a motion to postpone the election of the board positions in order to allow the Victorian issues to be resolved/clarified, and again, notified the Chairman/National President Bob Green he was clearly in a conflict of interest. The motion was voted on, but again, because the Vic Delegation was only allowed 6 votes the motion was lost.
The final result was that the Vic Delegation was denied its full complement of 15 votes.
THE OUTCOME
The outcome of this fiasco resulted in the Chairman/National President Bob Green being re-elected.
If nothing else this was certainly against the wishes of the Victorian branch.
These notes describe what happened at the SSAA National AGM. This was witnessed by some 50 SSAA Delegates from other SSAA State Boards who attended the National AGM.
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OTHER NOTES
Refusal to communicate.
During a recess Mr Zegers asked Mr Mighell 3 times over: “Are you disregarding the directions of 7 out of 10 Vic Board members, Dean?” He refused to reply, but his actions on the day clearly show that he did disregard those directions. On the point of succession, Mr Mighell made bogus referrals to the SSAA (VIC) Constitution.
The fact is, the SSAA (VIC) Constitution does not say what to do in case of resignation of the President.
It is silent about the issue of succession. So his opinion is more valid than anyone else’s? The point is, he wanted his special outcome rather than what would be considered the normal routine procedure and was prepared to bully his way through any opposition to get it.
Breaking Rank.
It is telling however, that as the leading and staunch Union man Mr Mighell is, he had no problem to break RANK publicly, which is considered to be treason in the Union environment.
Disrepute.
Mr Mighell has brought the SSAA (VIC) into disrepute by acting against the wishes of the majority of the SSAA (VIC) Board with regard to the position of the Acting President and the position of the Senior Delegate to the SSAA National AGM.
Ignoring Motion.
Mr Mighell also attempted to bully SSAA (Vic) Board members into ignoring a motion. Mr Mighell was instrumental in preventing the SSAA VIC Delegation to cast its full complement of votes at the SSAA National AGM.
This caused the election of key positions on the Nat Board to be affected, the evidence in the attached report shows that Mr Mighell wanted Mr Bob Green, the Current National President, to be re-elected.
My way or no way.
Mr Mighell is clearly of the opinion that things have to go his way, not any other way.
He has problems with following lawful directions when those directions go against his wishes.
He has demonstrated he is not a team player; he is a solo operator who will only accept his way. This is very obvious from his behaviour at the SSAA National AGM.
War for you, but peace for me.
Interestingly, when our voting intentions were discussed at 2 SEC meetings prior to the Nat AGM Mr Mighell stated many times: “We must never go to war with other SSAA State Branches.”
But then he obviously had no problem with going to war with our own SSAA (VIC) Board.
Flexible Motions
Mr Mighell seems to think that a “robust” Board means that certain Directors can choose to ignore a majority direction of the Board, and disregard to follow instructions as laid out in a motion.
Shuffle Board
At a special meeting of the SSAA (VIC) Board on the 9th of May Mr Zegers was confirmed as President, and it is interesting to observe that Mr Mighell repeatedly denied he had SSAA (VIC) Presidential aspirations.
Yet he put his hand up for the position and argued that Mr Zegers was not capable to be the SSAA (VIC) President.
Mr Zeger’s comment to that statement was: “I take his opinion for what it is worth.
Mr Zegers afterwards said: “I will fulfil the role of SSAA (VIC) President to the maximum of my abilities. As we have Board Elections coming up soon, my role as President will be until the next election only”.
Divide and conquer
At the moment, it seems Mr Mighell is trying to divide the VIC Board AND the Branches and Sub Clubs, by spreading false, negative, self-serving information. This needs to be addressed.
As we see it, his claim of “being torn” between duty to members and “Board Solidarity” is laughable. He has shown total contempt for the SSAA (VIC) Board members. This in order to promote his friend Bob Green into being re-elected, which was clearly against the decision made by the SSAA(VIC) Board.
His statement: “ In my full time job in a member based organisation, I operate on the principal that the more information and involvement the members have, the better informed they will be….” is contra to what can be found on a number of websites/news articles, where it appears that not all his Union members see him that way.
His statement: “the SSAA (VIC) Directors don’t want their email addresses published” is false. We do not know of any director that tried to hide his email address from the members, all addresses are widely known.
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THE MAIN QUESTION NOW ARISING FROM ALL THIS IS: WHY?
Follow the money. Follow the politics
Our (SSAA) Money.
Information now to hand indicates that Mr Mighell in February this year attended the Convention of the Australian (“Bob Katter”) Party in Queensland prior to the Qld State Election.
It is said that he is going to be the Federal Senate Candidate for Victoria for this Party at the next Federal Election. (Reference:1-http://www.vexnews.com/2012/02/etu-shock-dean-mighell-rumoured-to-be-retiring-from-union-power-base-for-cushy-250k-retirement-gig/)
Mr Mighell has very quickly developed connections with the SSAA Nat President Mr Bob Green who is a leading identity in the Queensland Branch of the SSAA.
The Qld State Branch of the SSAA donated $100,000.00 towards the “Katter” Party at that Party’s Convention.
Mr Mighell, the long-time ETU (Electrical Trades Union) boss, has donated $50,000.00 to the Bob Katter Party from his ETU member funds.(Reference:2-http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/power-move/katters-unlikely-political-pal/20111019589)
Politics (and Green money).
Another issue which has put a big question mark on Mr Mighell’s political intentions is: Mr Mighell was instrumental in having the ETU donations totalling some $500,000.00 to the GREENS PARTY in recent years.
Yes, you read that right: Half a million dollars.
The Greens Party, without any doubt our main political enemy, got very large financial donations due to the actions of now SSAA (VIC) director Mr Dean Mighell. Is that helpful to our cause? We do not think so.
Money and Katter Politics.
Mr Mighell seems to have a way to spread ETU members funds around in the political arena, his behaviour related to political party funding is repetitive but also contradictory. He has donated ETU member funds to the Greens, and now to the Katter Party. Those two Parties are not exactly good bed fellows, to say the least. It shows Mr Mighell has no issue with swinging from Left to Right. Mr Mighell is also a master in the old art of: Divide and Rule. He uses half- truths and bogus arguments to try to confuse people and get his way.
For example: Mr Mighell sent out SMS’s during the proceedings at the Nat AGM, one reads as follows:
“G’day XXXXXXX, your email supporting Karel is causing us grief. Can you let him know by text that the Senior Delegate should support Bob Green on the basis 5 to 4 with 2 abstentions? This included Stoops’s vote.
That makes it 4 v 4 and the Status Quo should remain, hence Bob Green should be supported.”
Good emails, bad emails and lunatics.
Mr Mighell ignored the rule that a motion can only be amended through a properly conveyed meeting. He obviously had a compelling urge to want Mr Bob Green to be re-elected as SSAA Nat President. And he has a problem with voting by email when it doesn’t suit him, but wants voting by email when it does suit him.
Mr Mighell also sent out the following SMS:
“G’day XXXXXXX, just to let you know that the new President (albeit self-appointed for now) is going to oppose your new CEO. The lunatics have taken over the asylum in VIC for the next few months.”
This demonstrates the attitude of the man. First of all: Mr Zegers did NOT oppose the new CEO, he merely expressed concerns about the funding side of it. This SMS was an attempt to set up a divide between the Board members.
The “lunatics” reference shows the level of respect he has for his fellow Board members, as soon as he doesn’t get his way, the abuse starts. He is on the email record calling SSAA (VIC) Board members: Idiot, incapable, xxxxxxxxxx and to top it off: “You are aF#$@kwit”.
He accuses a director of calling the SSAA members “nut cases”, we have never heard any director using that kind of language towards members.
With regard to some of the above, go to http://www.vexnews.com.au and search: Dean Mighell, ETU, Greens.
Or, go to Google and search the same words.
You will find some interesting quotes, connections and information.
Our money is not for politics.
A real worry is that Mr Dean Mighell, before we became aware of his attitudes, was supported by the VIC Board to stand for the SSAA National Senior Vice President position, which he won.
The SSAA VIC also holds substantial funds; however, the SSAA (VIC) Constitution very specifically prohibits funding to support political parties or politicians. The National Constitution is not so clear about that particular issue!
SO, CONSIDERING AT THE ABOVE EVENTS, WHERE DO YOU THINK IT IS HEADING?
Home
Consider these points
•Mr Mighell has announced that he is resigning from his position with the ETU later this year.
•There is a Federal Election coming up next year.
•There is information available in the public domain that Mr Mighell is going to be a candidate in Victoria for a Senator position for the Bob Katter Party. (Reference:1- http://www.vexnews.com/2012/02/etu-shock-dean-mighell-rumoured-to-be-retiring-from-union-power-base-for-cushy-250k-retirement-gig/)
We believe this is the underlying plan.
We take no pleasure in writing this report. The troubling developments of the last few weeks do not further our cause.
In fact, this very plan is what has been behind all the upset and accusations that Mr Mighell has levelled at us.
It is his master plan to get into politics and based on how he has used ETU funds to fund political outcomes, (Reference:3-http://abetz.com.au/news/donors-to-greens-decide-greens-policy) it is not unlikely he will use SSAA funds to achieve it, that is causing all the trouble. There was no trouble until he came on board stirring things up with false accusations and twisted interpretations of our constitution and position.
He is the one causing division, wasting our time and energy; we could well use this time and energy doing better and more constructive things.
BOB COOPER
One more thing you need to be aware of and that is the email sent by Mr Bob Cooper which is very revealing.
There has long been a suspicion that the disgraced former SSAA (VIC) State President Mr Bob Cooper was involved with Mr Mighell and others to attempt to take over control of the SSAA (VIC). As a SSAA (VIC) member you would have received the Holdsworth Report which severely condemned Mr Cooper’s involvement with the loss of some $200.000,00 of SSAA funds in the IMMS case. If needed we can email you a copy.
When asked, Mr Mighell strenuously denied any involvement with the current Board Election or Mr Cooper.
I refer you to the following email:
We have deleted the recipient’s name for fear of retributions. Please note that the “Electioneering” part is typically political: “Promise the earth, even if you can’t deliver.”
From: bcooper44@netspace.net.au
To: xxxxxxx@xxxxxxxx.com.au
Subject: FW: SSAA (VIC) ELECTIONS
Date: xxxx. xxxx Jun 2012 10:08:48 +1000
Xxxxxxxx, Thanks for your time last night. As I said I am still pursuing my suspension through legal channels and hope to resolve this before year’s end.
On the matter of the upcoming elections I have been speaking with Dean Mighel, Jeff Kuyken and Greg Moon who are current Board members and we are of the same mind that there are 4 whose term is up and they need to be replaced. They are O’Brien, Brown, Papas and Zegers.
It is proposed that Andrew Hepner (Big Game Rifle Club – Engineer), Fred Schenck (Military Rifle/Pistol, Little River Raiders Single Action – Accountant), Jack Wegman (Military Rifle, Pistol and Collectors – Company Director and 4 term Mayor of City of Boroondara) and Lance Eastwood (Big Game Rifle Club – Electrical Contractor) will be standing on the 1 ticket and pledge to:
• Represent and defend your rights to hunt and shoot. Work to form close and friendly alliances with all shooting bodies so that a unified voice can be put to media and politicians.
• Ensure that matters considered and decided by your Board are communicated to all members, Country branches and Sub Clubs. We will welcome your inquiry, suggestion or idea- and we will respond to you. We see the role of YOUR Board as acting for YOU – the members.
• We will formulate a budget. We will get on top of finances. We will develop a strategic plan for the SSAA so that it may grow – more and better ranges, more support for the Country branches and Sub Clubs, more for hunters, families, juniors and seniors.
• We will reverse the Range fee increase at Eagle Park and Springvale.
This will provide a solid 7 out of 11 to represent the rights and expectations of members as the Association moves forward.
I will have more detailed biographies for all 4 available by mid week.
As mentioned I would appreciate you keeping this fairly close to your chest at the moment, share only as you consider necessary as further information will follow by way of “How to Vote” information.
Again thanks for your time.
Regards, Bob Cooper
Please note that Mr Cooper’s membership was suspended as a result of this affair. He still refuses to accept his role in the IMMS case and is now working (conspiring?) with current Board members and aspiring candidates for Board positions which could see him brought back on the SSAA (VIC) Board to ”get on top of finances”.
Security of your identity and membership.
Another really worrying issue is the following:
The 4 candidates supported by Mr Cooper and the others mentioned in his email demanded a copy of the SSAA (VIC) membership list. Under our present Corporations law we were obliged to hand them over. (Something I will get changed should I remain on the Board)
Our membership list is also a record of addresses where FIREARMS are STORED!!!
Are you happy with anyone having your address?
These people, supposedly wanting to work for YOU, have now 4 copies of our membership lists outside of the SSAA (VIC)’s control and security.
To do what?
Consider this: To send 1 letter to each and every SSAA (VIC) member costs about $30.000.00.
This begs the question, where would this money come from? Who would be wanting so desperately to be in control of the SSAA (VIC) that is it worth $24.000.00 to them? And why?
Please note that none of the other candidates demanded those membership lists. Because they respect your privacy and security.
If you have any queries regarding the above, you can always direct questions to Mr Karel Zegers by email: kzegers@bendigo.net.au or on his Mob: 0429 955 977
I hope the above explains some of the recent events, and answers the accusations directed at the majority of the SSAA (VIC) Board by Mr Dean Mighell.
Yours in shooting,
Karel Zegers, Phil Brown, Panos Papas
SSAA (VIC) Board members.
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Home
INCONSISTENCIES
•It is curious that Karel Zegers was accepted as Victoria’s acting President and Senior Delegate at the previous day’s National Board Meeting.
•It must also be noted that Dean Mighell would have happily accepted Karel Zegers as Acting President AND Senior Delegate:
Provided Karel Zegers agreed to ignore the Motion of 19-4-12, which Karel Zegers did not want to do.
This motion directed how the balance of the Vic votes at the SSAA National AGM were going to be used.
•A motion CANNOT be ignored or its instructions not followed.
Dean Mighell wanted to influence the outcome of the voting at the SSAA National AGM by pressuring Karel Zegers to ignore the instructions of the majority of the Victorian Board.
•This is a constant and clear line in this whole saga, Dean Mighell wanted the Victorian votes to go to Bob Green.
•As the vote at the AGM was very close, people with a conflict of interest saw denying 9 votes to the Vic delegation as a means to get the desired result.
•It is clear that Dean Mighell wanted at all cost this to be so, although it was against the wishes of the Victorian Board members and against a duly voted on motion re how the Victorian Board wanted the votes to go.
•During the final break before the votes were taken Karel Zegers asked Dean Mighell 3 times if he was going to disregard the direction of 7 out of 10 Victorian Board members with regard to the above issues, he refused to answer.
•Dean Mighell appears to be more interested in where the votes went than how that was achieved Constitutionally.
He has clearly no problem with the fact that the National Constitution rules were not followed, all the while claiming that the Victorian Constitution Rules had to be followed.
But, he would have happily ignored all his reasoning about the Victorian Constitution as long as the vote went where he wanted it to go.
•It is abundantly clear that no matter what, the Victorian 15 votes had to be diminished in order to achieve a pre-determined outcome.
•We now have a director on the Victorian Board who for reasons best known to him has influenced the outcome of voting at the SSAA National AGM. He also made the Victorian Board look divided and in disarray.
He quoted some time ago he did not want the Victorian Board: “To go to war with other State Boards”.
But he does not have a problem with publicly “going to war” with his own Victorian Board and disregarding the clearly expressed will of the majority of the Victorian Board.
Karel Zegers.
Senior Vice President (Acting President) SSAA (VIC)
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Additional Note
Please note: The Nat President Mr Green has to date (30-6-2012) not responded to requests from the Vic. President Karel Zegers and presidents of other SSAA State Branches to supply a written summary of the “alleged” legal advice he used to prevent the Victorian Delegation using its full complement of 15 votes. In fact Mr Green has not even taken the trouble to reply nor recognise these requests. Some President! This demonstrates why the Victorian Board wanted this person not to be re-elected. Mr Mighell and Co obviously don’t share that view.
Mr Mighell says he: “I operate on the principal that the more information and involvement the members have..”
But when information is supplied he doesn’t want members to know about, he threatens legal action. As he has done a number of times to Karel Zegers. So this statement is yet another false report, if things go against him, his only solution or response is to get angry and irrational.
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Reference list:
REF1a-
See: REPORT SSAA NATIONAL AGM 27 APRIL 2012 MELBOURNE.
REF1- http://www.vexnews.com/2012/02/etu-shock-dean-mighell-rumoured-to-be-retiring-from-union-power-base-for-cushy-250k-retirement-gig/
REF2-
http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/power-move/katters-unlikely-political-pal/20111019589
REF3-
http://abetz.com.au/news/donors-to-greens-decide-greens-policy
REF4-
Mr Rick Brown has had longstanding business connections with Mr Mighell through being
employed by the ETU in an advisory position.
General References: or REF5-
Google: Dean Mighell, ETU, Katter Party
Google: Dean Mighell, ETU, Greens
So how are those pokie investments going Chris? Must be doin pretty good uh?
@ the real wm: Gone are the heady investment days when Tabcorp was $16 a share, eh? If Macau reports are anything to go by then it is great news for pokies reformists I guess…because casinos have slumped badly and the US casino industry is liable to collapse if the casinos there keep mushrooming and cannibalizing each other! Despite the hoo-haa the industry is under threat much more than it lets on, world-wide. As wealthy as it is…all it needs is for governments to make the right decision, charge patron levies to get governments financially independent, also make machines safer to use for consumers as all governments MUST do in the end……and the casino gambling industry here will be checked severely I hope! BAN the bloody pokies in my opinion…they are one scourge we do not need!
you have bigger problems DEAN to concern yourself with as you have turned the victorian ETU to shit.you seem to be caught out where ever you go coburgfc/cricket club,strathmorefc,aberfeldiefc,incolink,labor party it’s all coming to a screaming halt.court ordered mediation with bill kelty next week 8th august.
everyone has a history, don’t let it stop u
THANKS DEAN…..
A grossly misleading article from an author who is clearly not informed on the issue. Before you continue to comment on an issue that affects so many people’s lives, it would be good if you took some of the personal responsibility you wish for problem gamblers to take, to do adequate research. You might like to start with the Productivity Commission report, then the proposed legislation and the reams of research on the product itself.
Adam Bandt describes DEAN MIGHELL as inspirational and loves stalking deer.DEAN is a pathological liar fullstop.all coming to a end for the former s/s of the ETU.