1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:04,440
Speaker 1: Now there are questions around spending real some of women's

2
00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:06,880
Speaker 1: refuges money. There are three senior staff members at the

3
00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:09,479
Speaker 1: portad A branch who've been suspended while a forensic accountant

4
00:00:09,520 --> 00:00:13,000
Speaker 1: investigates money that was spent on get this, dental work,

5
00:00:13,360 --> 00:00:17,119
Speaker 1: beauty treatment, haircuts, and flights to the Gold Coast. Charities

6
00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:21,279
Speaker 1: law expert Sue Barker's with us on this a Sue Hi, hell,

7
00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:23,240
Speaker 1: how are you very well? Thank you now? Suit Listen,

8
00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:26,520
Speaker 1: even if this was best case scenario legit spending from

9
00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:28,720
Speaker 1: a fund that was meant for the well being of staff,

10
00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:30,800
Speaker 1: how do you think this is going to go down

11
00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,479
Speaker 1: with the public who donate.

12
00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:36,080
Speaker 2: Well, I think that's an important question. I mean, it

13
00:00:36,159 --> 00:00:38,919
Speaker 2: is important to bear in mind that charities are really struggling.

14
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,640
Speaker 2: It is really hard for them to recruit and retain

15
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,200
Speaker 2: staff at the moment in the current climate, and people

16
00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:49,160
Speaker 2: and charities work really hard. So in principle, I don't

17
00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:52,720
Speaker 2: think there's a problem with having a well being fun

18
00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:56,000
Speaker 2: to reward staff, you know, to look after staff, to

19
00:00:56,160 --> 00:01:01,600
Speaker 2: monarchy their staff. I think in principle that's not inherently problematic.

20
00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:04,760
Speaker 2: But I think the problem is is that every decision

21
00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,280
Speaker 2: when it comes to a charity, must be made in

22
00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:09,920
Speaker 2: the best interest of the charitable purposes. Now this is

23
00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:12,680
Speaker 2: subject to an investigation, so I wouldn't want to comment

24
00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,679
Speaker 2: on the specifics, but in principle, every charity must make

25
00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:17,559
Speaker 2: sure every payment meets that test.

26
00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:20,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, okay, So look at this through the eyes of

27
00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,160
Speaker 1: somebody who's donated to them. You find out that a

28
00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,080
Speaker 1: staff member has spent two hundred dollars at the dentist

29
00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:28,760
Speaker 1: and it's been signed off. Best case scenario, that's not

30
00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:29,600
Speaker 1: a good look as it.

31
00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:34,080
Speaker 3: Well, you know, how far down do you want to go?

32
00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:38,600
Speaker 3: I mean, people support charities to support their charitable purposes,

33
00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,120
Speaker 3: and I think questions like this really are very difficult

34
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:45,679
Speaker 3: for charities. That charities are in a very vulnerable position

35
00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:47,960
Speaker 3: because they need the support of the public in order

36
00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,560
Speaker 3: to receive the funding that they need in order to

37
00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:55,440
Speaker 3: further their charitable purpose, and questions like this can really

38
00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,080
Speaker 3: be very difficult for a charity. And it's important to

39
00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,000
Speaker 3: note that it's not really women's refuge, you know, it's

40
00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:06,960
Speaker 3: it's slightly apart from women's refuge, and it worries me

41
00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,720
Speaker 3: that the women's refuge might be tainted by something that's

42
00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,839
Speaker 3: not necessarily attributable to them.

43
00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,160
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you're onto something there, so hey, thank

44
00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:16,840
Speaker 1: you very much, appreciate it. Sue Barker Charities Law Experience.

45
00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,560
Speaker 1: For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen live to

46
00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,680
Speaker 1: news talks they'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow

47
00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:25,440
Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio