An eventful committee meeting

Dear Committee, It was indeed an eventful meeting that occurred earlier tonight. Dianne Proctor, without any prior notice, and freely proclaiming that she knew nothing about the confilcts in SPA and nothing about the recent elections chose to move a motion finding that SPA was not corrupt (which had never been alleged) and that the elections had been conducted properly and fairly. Immediately a gag motion was put, ensuring that it was impossible for either myself or Sheila to point out to Dianne and to others on the committee how the conduct of the elections had, indeed, been very unfair to both myself and Sheila. The motion was then put and carried with the casting vote of President Ian McIndoe in favour. So, without any formal discussion, and without any proper investigation of complaints of seemingly improper conduct surrounding the recent SPA national elections made in a letter signed by four committee members, the majority of the SPA national commitee, at least one of whom was ignorant of the issues at hand, has given our organisation a clean bill of health. One would wonder how confident the broader membership, or the wider public, would be in this 'finding' of a bare majority of the National Committee. Other highlights of the meeting included : * Dianne's husband joining in momentarilly and calling us all a bunch of idiots or words to a similar effect. * Dianne having complained of herself having been cut off, repeatedly interrupting others, on at least two occasions to inform us of her 35 years involvement in NGO's. * Tom Nilsson having called all of my motions, including the motion opposed to defamation suits which was carried, a waste of everyone's time. * Dianne Proctor attempting to move a motion that we disband SPA. As this has now become a foreshadowed motion, I look forward to hearing Dianne moving and speaking to this at a future meeting. I look forward to the release of the minutes and would be most interested to know how Committee members would explain to interested members of SPA their votes to gag debate and their votes against the motions I had moved. At least I should feel thankful that a majority of the committee is now on record as having supported my motion opposing the initiation of defamation suits by SPA members against other SPA members. I have to admit it was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Let's at least hope this becomes thoroughly ingrained in SPA culture so that free speech, openness and accountability may one day flourish again in SPA. regards, James -- James Sinnamon [email protected] 0412 319669, 07 33690819 http://www.candobetter.org/james