How long can Jeff Kennett's position with Beyond Blue remain tenable given the outright abuse of public money he has managed to maintain over recent years. Claims that the board travel business class don' cause much of a surprise given that a number are ex-senior politicians or senior mental heath experts. However, the politicians would be entitled to government travel and the medicos should surely be able to count their involvement as part of their negotiated workload and this beggars the question: "why is the travel bill so high?"
The recent resignation of the CEO Dawn O'Neil, a well respected advocate in the disability sector after only eight months has to be an indicator of tensions that exist within the organisation. The fact that Jeff can't seem to keep his foot out of his mouth for any length of time. As well as his total lack of concern for the potential damage his statements do to the mental health of those in groups that Beyond Blue is supposed to support under it's charter mean that there has to come a time when the rest of the board and it's major funder, the government must draw a line in the sand and say enough is enough.
At least you would hope so. Yet the silence is deafening. Canberra either isn't paying attention or is too caught up in causing the mental distress of those seeking asylum in Australia to notice the gaffes of an ex-liberal premier who is known for his stuff ups. The other concern is that the rest of the board is either so enamoured by Jeff or too afraid of him to take the action required. However, the Beyond Blue brand is undermined by each subsequent press meeting that the Chair holds.
One of the biggest problems I have had for some time is the lack of consumer representation on this board and within the organisation as a whole. Kennett's own testimony was certainly a representation of the pressures that are brought to bear upon our political masters. However, there is no reference to the ordinary man in the street; and Jeff is no Everyman.
The other sector not represented properly on this auspicious board is the GLBTI sector that has one of the highest rates of depression and suicide for any sector of the population. Instead the chair, Kennett, never misses a beat in putting down the aspirations of GLBTI youth in particular; his most recent gaffe referring to the unproven and solicited 'research' regarding children and the effect of different parenting models. Kennett chose to use the research to bleat his belief that "Chilldren are best brought up in a family with a Mother and a Father." unfortunately for him the report actually doesn't support this assertion. Mind you it should be remembered that the research was instigated by the ACL.
It is interesting to note that the vast collection of independent research actually suggests that the important environment for a child is both supportive and loving and doesn't have any concern with the make-up of the parent household at all.
Why is Jeff still in this role? He was supposed to resign at the end of last year; it certainly can't be by public acclaim. Having been the chair of a national disability body; the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations from 2008 to 2010 I was very wary of the need to ensure that the organisation had proper succession planning in place. I am very aware that many of those who stay in chair roles and depart without an effective handover are usually doing it for the 'prestige' rather than for the sake of the organisation; perhaps this is Kennett's reasoning. The question is who has he chosen to be his successor?
Surely the Beyond Blue board cannot view Kennett as an asset. We believe that Ms. O'Neil doesn't.
Jeff's latest entrée into the pokies debate demonstrate that he either hasn't got a clue about conflict of interests, he's downright stupid, or he's just believes that the rules that govern the rest of us don't apply to him. As the chair of an Aussie rules football club with a large number of revenue raising pokies in their stable his comments on the proposed legislation to help curb problem gambling; both a major affect and a cause of depression in this country; it is not unreasonable for the rest of us to believe that his role with Beyond Blue would cause him to show support for any measure that would help to relieve depression; or shut up.
Instead, Kennett's wisdom suggested that he should wade into the debate to support his footy club and it's fleecing of it's members rather than the need to look at a different business model that would reduce their dependence on the pokies revenue.
With this most recent foray Kennett has demonstrated no concern for the rest of us. The issue is not about marginalised GLBTI people it concerns the mums and dads of Australia and one can only hope that the clarion cry is for his removal. He has definitely gone beyond the pail.
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