Open letter to Triathlon Queensland

Dear Cara,

Via: Email

Open letter to Triathlon Queensland

On 3 and 13 September 2021, as you know, I wrote to all STTA’s outlining member concerns regarding the One Management future operating model TA are pushing onto STTA’s. (letters here)

You replied as President of TQ 7 September 2021. I provided a brief personal reply on the same day. (letters below)

To ensure transparency in the process of communication, members have provided the following responses to your letter. I send this letter, as all open letters, on behalf of all Triathlon Australia members.

References to paragraphs made by you as the President of TQ have the following responses from members of Triathlon in Australia and are identified with the words ‘Member Question or Member Response’.

Paragraph 1 was a mere introductory response line. This was the most sensible line of the letter written by yourself was uncontentious and drew no response from Members.

2nd paragraph:

• TQ ‘fully supports' the TA Federated Model and TA.

Member response - That is only to be expected when TQ is the recipient of the most support, financial and otherwise from TA.
It is normal human behaviour to support people that feed you well. What you are not addressing is the fact that your role in TQ is to look after members, not staff or yourself.

• The model gives appropriate voice to our association and members through proper representation.

Member Response – Members do not agree. ‘Proper’ means genuine or Correctly, so genuine or correct representation means that each member has the right to be informed, a right to express an opinion, an equal and free vote and that vote should be confidential, counted with all the due processes in place to make sure every vote is both recorded and counted correctly, verified by independent scrutineers so that the integrity of the vote is beyond question. I am not sure that that any STTA would comply with that requirement of a genuine or correct vote. When members votes become aggregated in a clubs’ overall vote, the one vote per member carries a different value when club memberships are different sizes, so if you want your vote to count more, join a club with a small membership.

What you did not confirm is if TQ takes note of the ‘Members’ vote aggregated by club and votes according to the ‘members’ vote or when voting decide to vote according to the TQ executive’s decision, which, as you also effectively stated in your letter is always in line with your effusive comments towards TA. You made reference to each club (the Members) having one vote at the TQ State AGM. The members would like you to clarify how votes by TQ for the TA AGM are determined.

Those members who are not members of a club are totally disenfranchised. TQ does not recognise those members at all, in fact TQ totally ignores them when it comes to voting. I doubt TQ tells those members when they join that they do not care what those members opinions and views are they just want the membership fees.

3rd and 4th paragraphs:
• TQ refers to a ‘member’ as a club.

Member Response - There was no mention whatsoever by you of individual members or the importance of members as the only reason why TA and the STTA’s exist - to provide a framework of rules and administration for the management of the sport. The simple fact is that both TA and the STTA’s only exist to provide a service for members, not take members money and then treat them with distain, disrespect, and similar. The President of QT stated the process of selecting Board members is identical to AFL club Collingwood and TA, which is, of course, nonsense.

TA and AFL club Collingwood were once similar to some extent because Collingwood members had not voted for 20 years until the President and others were removed and a new Board voted in, whereas previously according to Francis Galbally QC the Board members where, in effect self- perpetuating with no outside influences or views. If there was a vacancy the board just replacedthat person, which, in Galbally’s view affected having a proper diverse group on the Board for robust decisive renewal and governance.

Member Question - Does the President of QT really believe clubs voting for Board positions at TQ (are there more than 25 clubs in Queensland) bears any similarity to the 1,113,441 Collingwood members having the opportunity to vote directly for Board members at Collingwood are somehow identical processes.

Member comment - The QT President then suggested that the STTA’s are similar to the 18 AFL Clubs, claiming the Clubs vote the AFL Commissioners of the AFL, in a like manner to the STTA’s voting for AFL Commissioners.
Member Comment - It should be noted that in the AFL the members are members of individual clubs and not members of the AFL. Each club is a multi-million dollar business and operates as such, quite different from STTA’s, who’s role is to provide a service to members, just like TA.
TA members are of course members of TA, who should be allowed to vote directly for Board members, attend the AGM, ask questions AND HAVE THEM ANSWERED AND CONSIDERED, and have a vote on all resolutions, in person, by proxy, or by postal vote, just as shareholders have the same opportunities in a Public Company. Most members believe TA and the STTA’s to be member based organisations.

5th paragraph:

• The TQ President then states what should always be, that communication with TA is regular, respectful and effective.

Member Comment - That should always be the norm of course and is exactly what members would expect.
What the QT President does not state - which is disturbing - is if there is ever robust discussion on matters between the STTA’s and TA. Any organisation cannot be effective without these types of discussions on various issues from time to time, particularly contentious issues if members interest are to be well managed.

6th and 7th paragraphs:

• The QT President stated she was confident that TA is in full compliance with its various obligations.

Member Comment - It is clear that same full confidence is not shared by many members who are supporting a call for an independent review of TA. When the QT president is so confident that TA is in full compliance with its obligations and is clearly at odds with many members it is very surprising that QT, like TA and probably all the other STTA’s will not support the call for anindependent review of TA.

Members have spoken, not to TA because of a similarity with Collingwood, highlighted by Francis Galbally who stated ‘...The club had a culture of fear. Many were fearful of the consequences of saying something...’
A similar situation exists for members of TA. Fear on non-selection, funding cuts, other retribution if anyone were to speak out. A truly shocking state of affairs.

Members Comment - If TQ are firmly of the view that TA are managing the sport well, that members are satisfied with the TA Governance, lack of transparency, comfortable with the bullying and the culture of fear, then TQ and all the other STTA’s, should together with TA, jointly request an independent review of TA take place forthwith.

If, as TQ has claimed, TA is in full compliance, that the level of transparency is satisfactory, that the regular annual fall in membership is reasonable and helpful in building a better and stronger sport, that the host of issues currently resting with Sport Integrity is perfectly normal and acceptable then TA will be given a clean bill of health, all those members that are fearful, that would like a transparent TA, that are considering joining the large number of members not renewing memberships can be reassured that everything is OK. Those members that have expressed concerns with TA will, if your views are upheld by an independent review, will have been proven incorrect and they will no doubt cease to me members along with the 5% relinquishing their membership annually as has been the case for the past 4 – 5 years. TA and STTA’s holding the same views as TA can then preside unopposed over the final rapid demise of Triathlon in Australia, leaving TA, TQ and other like-minded elements of Triathlon in Australia with the ultimate pyrrhic victory.

However, should the Independent review find there are significant problems with TA governance, transparency, etc, then TA and STTA’s should be subject to strategic review, reorganisation, restructuring and changes in personnel that can then lead to renewal of the most exciting sport in the world and Triathlon again becoming aspirational for so many Athletes, Able, Para and Age Group looking for a sporting career or just a great healthy lifestyle.

A cosy, internal review by the AIS is not adequate. As the major sponsor and provider of the funding that keeps TA from liquidation, the AIS, is the most inappropriate and least independent organisation to conduct a review of TA.

TQ, your letter of 13 September 2021 was just not good enough. It did not show respect for the people for whom TA exists - the members. The members are the life and soul of triathlon in Australia.

What every President of every STTA needs to remember when supporting TA and its One Management future operating model is that without members there would be no Triathlon in Australia. Decisions therefore should not be made without members.

The sport needs an urgent independent review. The members demand an urgent independent review. Members deserve an urgent independent review.

If the position of TQ is that everything is fine, those members that have walked away from triathlon were wrong, those members that have registered serious complaints and issues with Sport Integrity were wrong, those members that feel intimidated and bullied by the culture of fear that permeates through the sport are wrong, then you need to have a good look in the mirror and ask yourself who is holding the sport back. It is people in positions behaving like you.

TQ, you and all other STTA’s in support of the One Management future operating model TA is forcing upon each STTA, need to reflect on all the problems permeating from TA. The stench is growing from these problems and rotting the sport. STTA’s like TQ supporting this rot are feeding the rot, and should be ashamed to be doing so.

TA has a problem in governance, integrity, ethics, athlete safeguarding....everywhere. How can TA take full control of the Sport of Triathlon while in this deplorable state?

All STTA’s need to join with members in calling for an independent review. The pressure is building and the review is inevitable. It will take place. Members are calling for it.

Your role at TQ is to provide a transparent structure to support all members. If yourself and others at TQ continue to support TA over its own members, then TQ is failing its constituents and failing triathlon. This can only mean that all involved at TQ should not be in their roles because you are all contributing to the decline of our wonderful sport, Triathlon.

Regards,

Emma Carney

Triathlon Queensland

7 September 2021 

Dear Ms Carney

I’m writing on behalf of our Board, in response to your two letters, dated 31 August and 3 September 2021.

Triathlon Queensland (TQ) fully supports both triathlon’s existing federated model of governance and Triathlon Australia (TA). The model gives appropriate voice to our association and our members through proper representation.

The call to invite nominations for election to the TA board is an annual process that occurs prior to the AGM. You may recall from your time on the TA Board, that terms of service as both an Interested and Independent Director are 24 months at a time, so each year a number of positions become available for re-election.

Specifically, each club (the member) has one vote at our State annual general meeting to elect the board member positions that are up for re-election. This is identical to the example of Collingwood Football Club which was referenced in your second letter, where members will now vote for elections to the Board. This is already in place at TQ.

As STTAs we then have one vote each to elect the board members of Triathlon Australia. Again, this is very similar to the AFL, where the 18 clubs elect (on behalf of their members) up to 9 Commissioners, who sit on the Board of AFL Australia, their NSO.

Our communication with TA is regular, respectful and effective. We have a number of initiatives that already utilise a national, shared services model, where we work together with TA to leverage our resources and provide support where required across the country, providing real value to our members.

TQ is also very confident that TA is in full compliance with its obligations under its Constitution, the Corporations Act and relevant financial standards and is meeting its obligations to its funders.

While we welcome the forthcoming Australian Institute of Sport review into the High Performance system, we remain very happy with the leadership and engagement shown by Triathlon Australia.

Kind Regards

Cara

Cara Turnley

President

7 September 2021

Dear Cara,

Thank you for taking the time to respond to my letters dates as you have set out below.
Your referencing to the AFL is incorrect in its application to TA, the transparency at TA is not there for members. This is a simple fact. Members cannot attend an AGM or vote or make changes. members rely on their STTA’s and with the response TQ have just given, well there isn't much hope for members (probably why they are falling so quickly). There is total disregard for members in Triathlon, because TQ will do whatever they like.
Nevertheless, I expected the response you have provided on behalf of TQ, given it is common knowledge TQ are the greatest beneficiaries of TA funding and support distribution of all States and Territories in Australia.
What I do find very disturbing - as all TQ members should - is your ‘full support of TA’ at TQ. This means TQ must therefore be comfortable with the fact that TA's wages and staff expense have increased by 532% since 2012 (and most likely will see a material increase in 2021) whilst at the same time athletes, of all levels, receive less support, at a time when membership and participation is declining and government funding in increasing.
With strategic pillars of ‘a Sport for Everyone’, ‘Winning when it Matters’ and ‘Working in Harmony’ - there currently is not much to celebrate with the Sport of Triathlon right now.
As a triathlon Administrator, you should all acknowledge you are custodians of the sport for a period for the athletes. Transparency is important, vision is critical but accountability must be there.
I will follow up on your letter, once TA has had a full and independent review, to see where TQ sits with the result.
Athletes First. Always.


Kind Regards,

Emma Carney