Kapalos lost multicultural role after voicing concerns

Helen Kapalos says she was booted from her prized job as Victoria’s Multicultural Commissioner after raising concerns about grants processes. Here’s how the “harsh” dumping was delivered.

Sacked Showbiz Helen Kapalos.

Helen Kapalos says she was sacked as Victorian Multicultural Commissioner after sounding alarm bells about grants processes and “issues” she believed “weren’t as ethical as they could have been.”

She also laid bare the gutless way she was axed — in a letter delivered on a Friday afternoon.

Kapalos, a television presenter and journalist, was appointed as Chairperson of the Victorian Multicultural Commission by then Multicultural Minister Robin Scott in 2015.

“It was a really wonderful role … and there were good intentions,” Kapalos told the Herald Sun’s Sacked: Showbiz podcast.

Victorian Multicultural Commission chairperson Helen Kapalos with primary school kids celebrating Cultural Diversity Week.

“The Premier liked the fact that I was apolitical, they wanted someone there with a strong voice to help change and push that conversation around multiculturalism along.”

But Kapalos said the role became political three years into her four year tenure.

“There’s commissioners on that commission board that have fairly strong political ambitions. And I also started to raise concerns abut various aspects, like the grants process and other issues I thought perhaps weren’t as ethical as they could have been.

“I did challenge the bureaucracy, and I suppose that was the beginning of the end, really.

“It did come to an end in a way that wasn’t very pleasant, but again … I have to walk through life with my values integrity and principles intact.”

Her sacking was delivered in “a letter” delivered “on a Friday night after I’d let the building.”

Kapalos says: “It was pretty harsh. They had told the rest of the staff to leave early that day, then the gorgeous lady that was my EA rang me in tears, just bawling. That was pretty sad. I don’t think I rocked the boat that much.

“I was voicing concerns through the appropriate channels,” Kapalos said. “I thought that was my job as a commissioner. It’s listed in the legislation that you provide frank and fearless advice to government.

Kapalos added: “We ended up seeing that particular minister, who appointed me, resign.”

Kapalos in city's Greek precinct when she was announced in the role. Picture: Rebecca Michael

Mr Scott resigned from the ministry in June this year after being named in an investigation by The Age and 60 Minutes into branch stacking within the Labor Party.

Mr Scott has denied that he or his office were involved in branch stacking.

Kapalos started her career on radio before taking jobs at Channel 9 (a reporter for National Nine News and A Current Affair), Channel 10 (co-presenter on 10 News First With Mal Walden), and Channel 7 (presenter on Today Tonight and senior correspondent on Sunday Night).

After her stints with the TV networks, Kapalos wrote, directed and executive produced the doco, A Life Of Its Own, based on a series of stories about medical marijuana she did for Sunday Night.

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