ABA Chairman in Shock Over Latest Snub

AUSTRALIA - Australian Beef Association (ABA) Chairman Brad Bellinger said that he was still in shock at the rejection by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) of the resolutions put to them by MLA members for the MLA AGM.

30 September 2008

2 minute read

Oceania

Mr Bellinger said, My fellow signatories and I were mystified at the rejection by MLA of the motions, as there was no personal criticism of any director in any of the motions put.

He said, "I have asked MLA to provide a copy of the legal advice stating that Resolutions 2 & 3 calling for the removal from Office of Don Heatley Chairman of MLA and David Palmer CEO of MLA were defamatory. MLA has refused to do this, citing legal privilege. I then asked MLA to state the defamatory segments of the motions but they replied stating that the resolutions contain a number of implications, which are defamatory.

"We now see imputed criticism of the MLA Directors through their association with establishing NLIS and our questioning of their promotional efforts, in light of poor cattle prices and high beef retail prices, as being defamatory. This makes it clear to us that members can only move for the removal of a director, if we don't give any reason/s, why he or she should be removed.

"This takes us into the realm of farce ' Gilbert and Sullivan would have fun with this plot."

Mr Bellinger stated, "The Shareholders Association was appalled when they read the MLA constitution. We have been told by the Ombudsman's Office they can't interfere, as it rules that the MLA is not a Commonwealth Agency.'

"ASIC has told us they have problems looking into this for us because MLA isn't a company registered on the Stock Exchange. It comes down the fact that only the Minister of Agriculture has the power to pull them into the real world by cutting off their funding. So far he has shown as much interest as his National Party predecessors - none."