‘Dirty tactics, faceless people’: RSL stoush could end in supreme court

Fresh shots have been fired in a civil war at a Queensland RSL club, with claims of “dirty tactics” by “faceless people” and behaviour “out of a scene from the movie Mean Girls”.

Fresh shots have been fired in a civil war at a Queensland RSL club, with claims of “dirty tactics” by “faceless people” and behaviour “out of a scene from the movie Mean Girls”.

The Tewantin Noosa RSL Club and the local sub-branch are embroiled in a bitter battle which saw this year’s official Anzac Day activities moved to the local pub.

A popular “Diggers Bar” operated by the RSL club closed this year after the sub-branch moved to hike the rent, while the club has been accused of cancelling life memberships of more than 450 sub-branch members.

The sub-branch, which has launched failed attempts to overthrow the club board, has been rallying its troops to donate to a planned $80,000 “fighting fund” to take the club to the Supreme Court.

New battlelines have been drawn as the club prepares to hold a special general meeting this weekend to pass a new constitution, after a similar move last month was rejected.

In a Facebook post, sub-branch supporters claimed the club wanted to change the constitution “so that anyone’s membership can be revoked at any time, without a reason needed to be given, and no right of reply”.

Tewantin Noosa RSL Club chairman Tim Bassett (blue shirt) and general manager Michael Sue See outside the club. Pic: Lyndon Mechielsen

The post claimed the club also wanted the power to amalgamate with other entities “without member approval or vote” and to place restraints on who can run for chairman.

Sub-branch supporters say the Diggers Bar, which briefly reopened last week as a BYO venue, had been forced to close again after a “single” food safety complaint to Queensland Health.

“It’s incredible what some people will do to stop the Diggers Bar staying open,” the post on the Tewantin Noosa Member Group Facebook page read.

“Let’s put an end to this situation and help to have the 450 life members, who had their Noosa RSL memberships revoked … to be reinstated. Let’s get Diggers Bar open again.”

An RSL club spokesman accused a “small but active group” of sub-branch members of employing “dirty tactics … (to try to) derail the club’s proposed constitution”.

“The … scare tactics … coming from these faceless people are what you may expect in a primary school ground or out of a scene from the movie Mean Girls,” he said.

The spokesman said the club’s current constitution was written in 1981 and had become outdated. He said the proposed new constitution had been professionally drafted by industry consultants and would bring it into line with legislative changes and “modern rules”.

He rejected as “misinformation” claims by sub-branch supporters that the changes would give the club board unfettered powers.

“The club does so much good work in our local community, supporting sporting groups, junior development, and the veteran community,” he said.

“The actions of this group are not only harmful to the relationship between the club and Sub Branch but also harmful to our community.

“We would call on this group to consider the needs of the community and veterans, and rather than looking to further the divide, to please put an end to the hate campaign.”

The sub-branch said it had received legal advice not to comment.

RSL Queensland has so far declined to intervene in the dispute.

Originally published as ‘Dirty tactics, faceless people’: RSL stoush could end in supreme court