Elite sailing club moves to expel whistleblower over COVID claims
The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is poised to oust outspoken member Mike Freebairn over his claims about government COVID-19 relief funds.
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Queensland’s most exclusive sailing club is moving to expel a long-term member who exposed alleged misuse of government COVID-19 relief funds.
Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is hauling whistleblower Mike Freebairn before its committee on Thursday to show cause why his membership should continue.
Mr Freebairn went public in The Courier-Mail in July, accusing the prestigious Manly club of pocketing a six-month government seabed lease waiver to pay down massive debt.
The club has denied any wrongdoing.
“I didn’t make the decision to speak out lightly,” Mr Freebairn said yesterday.
“I had been struggling since April to get some transparency for members and was getting none.
“As a passionate 37-year member, I have a right to speak up, this is not communist China, and I have nothing to apologise for.
“I am hurting in this pandemic too, and the rental relief is not the squadron’s money as the landlord to keep.”
Mr Freebairn, a boat broker, said RQYS was continuing to charge berth rental fees to all but a handful of its almost 600 marina tenants.
Squadron general manager Shawn Ket told The Courier-Mail in July the relief was a saving to the club but denied any wrongdoing.
“The Department of Transport and Main Roads gave all marinas rent relief, and some clubs have chosen to pass this on to members but those clubs do not have large sailing fraternities and our marina is only part of our not-for-profit organisation,” Mr Ket said.
At the club’s explosive annual general meeting, Commodore Barry Cuneo said Mr Freebairn contacting “the bloody Courier-Mail” amounted to “a terrible situation” of “trying to rip us to pieces”.
Both parties have engaged lawyers ahead of Thursday’s showdown.
A long-term club member, who declined to be named, described the situation as “crazy stuff”.
“The government says, we will give you a moratorium on marine leases, and RQ says, we’ll keep it in the back pocket.
“Now they want to get rid of Mike, and are claiming he’s brought the club into disrepute when the club has brought itself into disrepute.”