Multicultural Council of Tasmania board members, staff quit under finance cloud

TWO employees and two board members have quit the Multicultural Council of Tasmania as the State Government asks questions of its ability to fulfil its $110,000 annual contract.

Multicultural Council of Tasmania acting chief executive Raj Chopra and treasurer Yongbei Tang. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

TWO employees and two board members have quit the Multicultural Council of Tasmania as the State Government asks questions of its ability to fulfil its $110,000 annual contract.

Acting chief executive Sonia Caton, who took the role from Hobart City Council candidate Anna Reynolds in July, was one person to step down, this week declining to explain why.

Another board member and two of five employees have also left the organisation.

A State Government spokesman confirmed it was “seeking assurances from the council that it is able to fulfil its current obligations under its funding agreements with the Government”.

The spokesman did not respond to a request for the terms of the agreement.

A financial audit report will be tabled at the Multicultural Council of Tasmania’s annual general meeting on Saturday.

The Government spokesman said the Communities Department had not seen the report.

Acting chief executive Raj Chopra said nothing was wrong with the Multicultural Council of Tasmania’s finances and that most resignations were due to health reasons or the conclusion of board members’ terms.

“Anyone who is spreading these rumours [about finances], I don’t know the reason why,” he said. “Our office is open 9am to 5pm — they can walk into our office and we are happy to show them.”

The Multicultural Council of Tasmania, the state’s peak advocacy body for migrant-led community organisations, is funded by the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

It received the contract for the old Moonah Arts Centre in 2016, an agreement worth $200,000 over four years.

It received a further $50,000 this financial year to host the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia Congress in Hobart.

Ms Reynolds is scheduled to return to the top job at the end of October.

The treasurer of the Multicultural Council of Tasmania is Yongbei Tang, who has this week received criticism for alleged links with the Chinese Communist Party. She has denied the claims.