GetUp’s donors should be asking for a refund

They’re best known for pointing the fingers at others, but now left-wing pressure group GetUp is facing questions over its own finances, they’re quick to retaliate, writes John Rolfe.

I have been a journalist for 20 years and I can hardly recall the subject of a story playing tougher than GetUp did this week.

When GetUp’s spokeswoman asked for “more detail” at 1.30pm about what HLB Mann Judd auditing expert Darryl Swindells thought of the left-wing pressure group’s accounts, I complied.

RELATED: GetUp finances under scrutiny

“Sure thing,” I wrote. “I am trying to be as transparent as possible. I interviewed him (which is what I told you about earlier) then he provided unsolicited written comments. The only written comment I intend to use is below.”

I then provided the comment.

Left-wing pressure group GetUp is facing questions over its own finances. Picture: Supplied

“The 2018 accounts note that there is no income tax expense, for the reason that there is ‘non-assessable operations’. I do not know what these non-assessable operations are. The income of the company for the year included donations, referral income, sublease income, interest income and sponsorships and other income, which all would generally be assessable.”

RELATED: GetUp! finances reveal millions extra to attack Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott

The reply was swift.

“You have included an incomplete statement and left off the most important part where Mr Swindells states he cannot say our treatment is incorrect.”

What he had actually said was: “Until I had information from GetUp as to why this had been treated as non-assessable, I could not say that the treatment was incorrect.”

GetUp are no strangers to playing tough if the story does not suit them. Picture: Tait Schmaal

GetUp’s spokeswoman continued: “We find this behaviour to be deliberately deceptive. We would like to make a formal complaint, can you please advise as to how we do this?”

I responded by saying who they could complain to, adding: “To be totally honest, I didn’t understand that last sentence from Darryl. That’s why I left it off. You obviously had it. That makes me wonder why you asked me to provide ‘more detail’. Feel free to address that sentence in your response.”

RELATED: GetUp! exposed over call-centre script

But none came.

They had already applied pressure on Deakin University which was followed by a retraction by its academics.

This is GetUp donors’ dollars at work.

@publicdefender

Originally published as GetUp’s donors should be asking for a refund