Twice-convicted fraudster judged fit to run vocational training courses

A twice-convicted fraudster and major LNP donor has been judged a fit and proper person by a federal government regulator to run vocational training courses for helicopter crews, drone pilots, first aid, and swift-water rescue.

Fraudster Eddy Andrews appearing on A Current Affair after being caught out running fraudulent sausage sizzles across Brisbane, for his organisation The First 24 Hrs Foundation. Source: Channel 9

A twice-convicted fraudster and major LNP donor has been judged a fit and proper person by a federal government regulator to run vocational training courses for helicopter crews, drone pilots, first aid and swift-water rescue.

The Public Safety Training & Response Group is a registered training organisation owned and operated by Eddy Andrews, who has been convicted of fraud twice and had his charity registration revoked by the federal charities regulator in 2015.

A separate federal regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority, has however judged him to be a fit and proper person, as required by legislation, despite his criminal history and charity cancellation.

In 2011, Mr Andrews pleaded guilty to defrauding raffle ticket buyers of more than $30,000 as the co-founder of a Gold Coast charity called the Foundation for Public Safety Professionals.

He had previously been convicted of fraud in Victoria for fraudulently obtaining flights worth about $72,000, claiming he was the director of a company called Australian Combined Emergency Services.

In 2015, a charity he established – The First 24 Hrs Foundation – had its registration revoked by the Australian Charity and Not-for-Profits Commission after it was discovered he was running fake charity sausage sizzles and allegedly making donations from the charity to the LNP.

Former Australian Charities Commission commissioner Susan Pascoe. Picture: Supplied

At the time, charities commissioner Susan Pascoe AM told A Current Affair that Mr Andrews did not have a fundraising licence with the Office of Fair Trading in Queensland. “This kind of behaviour is deplorable,” she e said.

“It is preying on the generosity of Australian people who always give to needy causes and give in time of disaster.”

The decision to revoke the charity’s registration was backdated to July 1, 2013.

Companies owned by Mr Andrews, the Illira Group and IPS Group, have donated nearly $100,000 to the Queensland Liberal National Party in 46 instalments between November 14, 2016, and June 16 last year.

A spokeswoman for ASQA said Mr Andrews bought the registered training organisation – then called Advanced Skills Pty Ltd – in 2021, notified the regulator, and completed a fit and proper person declaration.

“ASQA investigated information provided by Mr Andrews on the fit and proper person declaration,” she said.

“Following consideration of the evidence, there was no basis to make findings that Mr Andrews did not satisfy any of the criterion in schedule 3 of the Fit and Proper Person Requirements 2011.

“Should any further information or intelligence come to light in relation to Mr Andrews’ ability to continue to meet the FPPR, we would assess that evidence and take regulatory action as appropriate.”

The schedule asks “whether the person has been convicted of an offence against a law of the commonwealth or a state or territory of Australia, or of another country, and if so, the seriousness of the offence and the time elapsed since the conviction was recorded”.

Former LNP MP Saxon Rice was appointed ASQA’s chief commissioner in October 2019 and chief executive in January 2021. She served in the Newman government as state MP for Mount Coot-tha from March 2012 to January 2015.

Then-LNP Premier of Queensland Campbell Newman and LNP MP for Mount Coot-tha, Saxon Rice, at Bardon Picture: Lisa Clarke

ASQA said Ms Rice had not been involved in any regulatory decisions relating to the Public Safety Training & Response Group.

The Australian called the training organisation, but Mr Andrews declined to be interviewed and directed questions to a public relations firm.

A written statement from the Public Safety Training & Response Group, through the PR firm, said it had been subject to normal ASQA compliance checks when it bought the business in 2021.

“Compliance documentation and relevant information has been provided to ASQA, and Public Safety Training & Response Group is not aware of any compliance issues in respect of its registration with ASQA at this time.” The statement said the group had no direct dealings with Ms Rice “in her role at ASQA or, to our knowledge, at any time prior to that”.

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