Caulfield rebel accused of power grab

Melbourne Racing Club chairman Matt Cain has taken aim at rebel board member John Kanga by claiming his call for a special general meeting is an attempt to take control of the club.

In a letter to members on Tuesday, Cain said Kanga was using three controversial issues as a way of pushing MRC members to vote for a rule change that will “put all power in his hands and those who back him”.

An artist’s impression of how a new grandstand could work with the new mounting yard at Caulfield.

Kanga filed a motion for a special general meeting two weeks ago, citing concerns about the club’s new $60 million mounting yard facility at Caulfield Racecourse, plans to build a $250 million grandstand at Caulfield and the sale of Sandown Racecourse.

But Cain said Kanga’s motion did not align with his comments in the media.

John Kanga (left) wants to overhaul the board of the Melbourne Racing Club.Credit: Getty Images

The MRC executive committee has accused Kanga’s Save Our MRC group of operating outside the normal election process one month before the scheduled annual general meeting.

They claim he has called the meeting because he wants members to vote out six board members and vote in his handpicked replacements. Kanga’s motion also proposes to reduce the eligibility criteria to join the board from three years to six months.

“Let’s be clear, the proposed SGM is not about voting on the location of the Caulfield mounting yard, the Caulfield master plan and grand pavilion, or the future of racing at Sandown Racecourse,” Cain said.

“Mr Kanga’s faction’s motion for the proposed meeting is to take control of the club by asking members to vote to approve amendments to the club rules to allow the appointment of a block of Mr Kanga’s associates to a majority of the seats on the committee outside of the normal election process.

“The Kanga faction wants this rule change to get you to hand over your democratic right to an equal say in the running and future of the MRC by changing the rules to put all power in his hands and those who back him.”

Cain said the MRC board was taking Kanga’s “bid for control very seriously”.

“Your committee has concerns with the validity of what has been proposed for the SGM and is working hard to understand how it may impact your rights as members,” Cain wrote.

“We have also written to Mr Kanga asking for his clarification on various other aspects of what has been proposed. We are waiting for his response.

“There is no legal obligation for the meeting to be called this week. The MRC belongs to all of its members, and we will pursue every avenue to protect your rights and the democratic governance that underpins them.”

Cain did not address claims from earlier this week that the club had introduced a safe word – “pineapple” – for board members to use in its meetings if they feel threatened or ill at ease amid accusations of bullying and toxic behaviour.

But last Friday he rejected allegations made by board members Alison Saville and Caitrin Kelly that the executive committee had a “longstanding poor culture”.

The Melbourne Racing Club board has been torn apart over a range of issues in recent times.Credit: Getty Images

Kanga said he was disappointed that Cain had sought to attack him personally in his message to members.

“To suggest I am seeking to take over the club is offensive,” Kanga said.

“All I want is to have a board that is aligned on the key issues that members continually tell me they want resolved: the mounting yard, keeping racing at Sandown and ensuring we don’t waste more money by building a white elephant grandstand.”

Cain said the MRC would hold its annual general meeting, as planned, on September 26, and run an election process from September 10 until September 24.

The chairman is stepping down at the AGM, opening up one vacancy on the board, while fellow committee member Mark Pratt is up for re-election.

In his letter, Cain said the MRC board was already dealing with the three key issues at the heart of Kanga’s media campaign.

He said the committee would review the position of the mounting yard after the spring carnival because it was not “operationally feasible” to do it earlier. He said plans to replace the glass-fronted Rupert Clarke Grandstand had been put on hold until 2026, and he said a rezoning process for Sandown Racecourse was separate from any decision to sell the track.

Kanga said if the AGM went ahead on September 26 he would call on newly elected committee members to join him on the three key issues.

“My aim is to have a united board, something that hasn’t occurred at the MRC for a long time,” he said.

“Matt has now sent out four emails to members in the last week or so, trying to spin a narrative that no one believes and which most people would simply find bemusing. He should just let them vote.”

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