Meeting talk:2012 AGM/Candidates/Ross Mallett

Questions

Hi Ross I notice that its now after 18:00 AEDT and that voting opens tomorrow so I have a few questions for you;

Given that you are not a previous member of the committee;

1. do you understand the requirements and obligations of being a treasurer for a Not for profit association?

   The requirements are considerable. A treasurer has to keep track of the records and accounts, ensure that the organisation meets its legal, organisational and financial obligations, pays its bills and taxes and prepares its budget, and proposals for grants and sponsorships. I would say that treasurer has to have at least a working knowledge of accounting and corporate procedures. I have an MBA from Monash, and so am acquainted with this. It is also fortunate that being from Victoria, the form of these that I am most familiar with is the same as our organisation.

2. Is it acceptable practice not to have yearly audits of the associations finances, under what circumstances could an audit be delayed?

   An organisation with a gross revenue in excess of $200,000 or assets in excess of $500,000 is legally required to have a formal audit by a qualified accountant. You can apply for an extension under Section 30(5) for $25.10. I strongly believe that yearly audits are essential.

3. in a recent email you chose some very poor words during a heated discussion, will you in the future be able to recognise that your in a similar situation and how would you handle such a realisation?

   Yes, and my practice will be to disengage from the discussion and allow things to cool down.

4. do you believe that members of the association should be able to discuss matter s on the members list without fear of it being republished publicly?

   Absolutely. This is a fundamental requirement.

Thanks Gideon Gnangarra 19:16, 15 November 2012 (EST)

Temper-tantrum problem

I refer to one of Gideon's questions above. Your recent outburst against a member, and almost simultaneous launching of an ANI on en.WP against that member—regarded by consensus as spurious—raises serious doubts about your ability to (1) provide appropriate leadership and advice to members; (2) forge and sustain productive relations with other financial officers in the WM movement; and (3) have productive personal/professional relations with other committee members.

Can you demonstrate why you should be trusted by WMAu in a key role such as treasurer, or as an ordinary committee member? Tony1 23:24, 15 November 2012 (EST)

Additional questions from Steven Zhang

Hi Ross. I just have a few more questions. As you may know, the Funds Dissemination Committee today announced their recommendations for funds allocations, and out of the requested budget of $291,115, it was recommended we receive $0. This may significantly impact our activities over the next six months.

I am wondering:

1. If you had been treasurer, what would you have done differently to ensure that we received the allocation that the chapter needed to achieve all of the goals of the 2013 Annual Plan?
2. In light of the result from the FDC, do you still think we can expect the full amount of funding we were hoping to receive from our partners?
3. How do you see our annual plan change (on the top level) as a result of the FDC decision, to ensure that we can still achieve all our objectives?
4. If elected, what would be your plan going forward to ensure that something like this doesn't happen again?

Thanks. Steven Zhang 10:10, 16 November 2012 (EST)