Paul Knight resigns from Carenne Support

The mouth of Carenne Support Limited, Paul Knight has resigned from the board of directors following a disagreement with Geoff Salmon, Terry Mahony and Mary Housler. According to a source inside the organisation, the disagreement related to Salmon and Mahony's plans for a fundraising campaign to purchase replacement buses.

Knight believes that it wasn't right for Carenne Support to call for donations to purchase vehicles when it already has $150,000 in the bank and had been using them to make money. He believed to do so would bring more negative publicity to the organisation.

Carenne Special School conducted a fundraising appeal in 2004 and 2005 to purchase new vehicles for the school. Those vehicles ended up in the hands of Carenne Support instead of the school as they were purchased for. The falling out with Paul Knight shows how quickly those in control will turn on those who disagree with them.

Another Carenne Support director and questionable business practices

Carenne Gate can reveal that Carenne Support director and bank employee Paul Knight has been engaging in questionable business practices on Internet auction site eBay. On the site, Knight uses the name slater2703.

Back in July, Knight posted the name of a buyer as feedback, calling them a "wanker". After being mentioned on this blog, Knight has set his feedback profile to private so it is no longer available to be read by other users. This shows that Knight has something to hide.

Knight isn't the only Carenne Support director caught out engaging in questionable business practices, with Geoff Salmon's company wound up for being in excess of $6.1 million in debt.

Carenne Support fails to make financials transparent

The corrupt organisation at the centre of the Carenne Gate Affair, Carenne Support Limited has failed to lodge its annual financial reports with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission this year. It had until October 30 to do so.

Despite only being required to if requested by ASIC or 5% of its members, in the past, Carenne Support has lodged its financial reports with the regulatory body. To stop lodging its reports, Carenne Support looks as though it is trying to hide something and should not be trusted by the general public.

It has already been publicised that key people associated with the charity are unsuitable, with Christine Porter accused of defrauding ADHC and neglecting students, Geoff Salmon running his own company into massive debt and attempting to carjack a Carenne protester, Paul Knight defrauding people on eBay and Terry Mahony telling the Bathurst community that the two buses being purchased were for the school.

Any person considering making a donation to the organisation should be careful as it obviously has something to hide and is not being open and transparent in its operation.

The organisation is not the first charity associated with Carenne to change its practices to avoid scrutiny, with the Bathurst Riding for the Disabled Association changing its structure to avoid transparency.

It's time that the authorities look into the plethora of issues surrounding Carenne Support.

Another attack on a whistleblower

The vehicle of Carenne Special School whistleblower, Jenny O'Neill has been attacked. Violence against Carenne whistleblowers is nothing new with Brian Carter's car being attacked and the attempted carjacking of Mr Carter by Carenne Support director Geoff Salmon.

Threats against whistleblowers have also been made by Michael Auld, Lee Churches, Christine Porter, Simone Russell, Jeremy Russell, Geoff Salmon and Paul Knight.

The attack on Mrs O'Neill's vehicle shows how desperate those at Carenne are getting and the low tactics they will use to silence anyone who speaks out.

Carenne Special School fundraiser to benefit corrupt charity - Carenne Support

The corrupt organisation at the centre of the Carenne Gate saga, Carenne Support Limited will benefit from Saturday night's Carenne Special School fundraiser at the Waratah in Bathurst according to whistleblowers and today's report in the Western Advocate. It is not the first time that Carenne Support has engaged in dishonest fundraising practices, with two Ford Transit minibuses being purchased for it after fundraising in the school's name.

The Western Advocate article claims that the school will be using the funds from the event to purchase much needed therapy equipment and a sensory wall for the junior courtyard. According to Carenne Support after last August's dinner dance where a sex toy made a surprise appearance, Carenne Support had raised enough money to build a sensory wall at the school.

According to Carenne whistleblower Gretel, Carenne Support was the beneficiary from the Waratah fundraiser. She told Carenne Gate - "The fundraiser was to purchase new therapy equipment for some students and for the sensory wall that will all be owned by Carenne Support, it was a Carenne Support fundraiser using the school's name."

Nedkelly told Carenne Gate that it was Neil Moon and Paul Knight's idea to use the school's name to fundraise for the corrupt charity. "Neil and Paul said that the school's name would raise more funds than Carenne Support's, he said that the funds could then be used on therapy programs and products for a few students."

The event demonstrates that the public is still being misled by Carenne Support and Carenne Special School when it comes to fundraising events.

Sex toy features at Dinner Dance, event a disgrace say attendees

Last night's Dinner Dance for Carenne Support Limited, the organisation central to the Carenne Gate affair was a complete disgrace according to a number of attendees. The Dinner Dance was held at the Bathurst RSL Club to raise funding for a sensory wall at the school. Attendee and Carenne Special School whistleblower nedkelly told Carenne Gate that she was shocked at the conduct of some of her colleagues and at Paul Knight's speech where he took aim at whistleblowers.

Paul Knight's speech mentioned that the school had been engulfed by problems for the last two years and that the only way for Carenne Special School and Carenne Support to survive was to "stick together". Attendees said that it was obvious that Mr Knight was having a shot at whistleblowers who are attempting to clean up Carenne Support and Carenne Special School.

According to nedkelly's estimates only around 80 people were in attendance and of those only two were parents not employed by or associated with Carenne Support or the school. "It was pretty bad considering that they told us that there would be at least 150 people there," Ned told Carenne Gate.

"It just shows how much support the school has lost, the school is really unpopular in the Bathurst community now, people are really over it all."

Another attendee told Carenne Gate that he wasn't surprised by the lack of interest and found it comical that after all the promotion of the event that hardly anybody showed up. The attendee said that it was apparent that the school no longer had the support they once had and that the bus debacle had made the public think twice about giving any money to Carenne Special School or Carenne Support.

"How do you know the money is going to Carenne for what they say. The whole community thought the buses were for the school, nobody told them that they weren't to be owned by the school but an organisation attached to the school which uses them to earn a huge profit," said the attendee.

Another attendee said she was surprised by the absence of Carenne fan Gerard Martin. "Gerard continues to support the rorts at Carenne yet didn't even show up for a supposed charity event for the school."

"I wonder if people know that because of Carenne Support using the buses for themselves that students in wheelchairs can't go on overnight excursions" he said.

All of the attendees who sent complaints to Carenne Gate complained about the conduct of staff at the charity event. One attendee said "how we as staff behave in public is how the school is perceived by the public, when you carry on like they did last night it sends a negative message to the public about the school."

Nedkelly told Carenne Gate that Carenne Support employee Mary Housler, known for attacking people on this blog was terribly drunk and had to be told not to stand on tables and "sexually harassing" a number of attendees including Paul Knight and Geoff Salmon. Nedkelly claims that she was "overly friendly" with Geoff Salmon who appeared very uncomfortable with Mrs Housler's advances.

According to one attendee, he was completely shocked when Karina Molenkamp and Angie Cranston showed the secret item they had bought to the event. "I'm not easily shocked but I couldn't believe it when they pulled out a vibrator, it was so inappropriate. How the department can let this happen is just beyond me, it has to be some sort of serious misconduct to take a sex toy to a school event at a place like the RSL" said the male complainant. Another attendee commented that Mrs Molenkamp and Mrs Cranston's behaviour was unacceptable and that it was only because they shared a table with Lee Churches, Margaret Rowe and Kym Tattersall that they got away with it. "If it had been anyone else, Neil Moon would have thrown them out."

Comments were also made about staff absences from the night. Nedkelly told Carenne Gate that she couldn't believe that Anne Baskerville, one of the people calling for a sensory wall didn't show up. Another attendee commented about Michael Auld breezing in and out of the event. "He might as well not have came along," said the attendee.

According to Carenne Support, they have raised enough money for the sensory wall they want for the school.

Carenne Support asks for new members

On the inside back cover of the Carenne Special School newsletter for June is a report by Paul Knight, chairman of Carenne Support. Mr Knight talks Carenne Support up saying that it helps the school by providing therapy to 18 of its students and how it receives a grant to transport children to Carenne. Mr Knight also talks about how Carenne Support has done seating and technology assessments.

The Carenne newsletter also asks for people to attend the Carenne Support meeting on 20 July 2010 and to join as a member of the organisation.

Carenne Support breaches contract

Last month we reported that Carenne Support had advertised the position of bus driver/supervisor despite there being a driver in the position already.

On Monday, "hatho" sent Carenne Gate bloggers a copy of the contract Carenne Support drivers are expected to sign when they commence employment with the company. Hatho claims that Christine Porter, Paul Knight and Terry Mahony had designed it to try and have a particular employee forced out.

Hatho says that they recall Lee Churches, one of Carenne Support's directors claiming that she had concerns about the contract where Carenne Support had tried to place responsibility back on the school to keep drivers up to date on changes. Hatho claims that Lee wrote a complaint to Gail Vasic complaining about it.

As yet another example of the poor treatment gives its employees, the contract proves that Carenne Support is breaching it by replacing the Lithgow driver's job. The contract says -

I understand that while this is a casual position termination of this arrangement is
dependent upon (i) a failure to abide by the above items or (ii) Carenne Support Limited’s loss of the tender for the bus runs with Department of Education. In the event of a loss of tender Carenne Support Limited undertakes to give the driver as much notice as possible of the termination of the run.

Hatho claims that Carenne Support has changed the job to try and push bus driver Jenny O'Neill out of her position by making her redundant. Hatho claims that this was schemed up by Christine Porter and Mary Housler towards the end of last term during discussions at the school.

Paul Knight claims Jake Rosenberg is Brian Carter, makes threats, calls him a "rock spider"

The chairman of Carenne Support's board of directors, Paul Knight has responded angrily to information from "Jake Rosenberg" in relation to leaks from within his organisation.

In his first response, Mr Knight tells Rosenberg "if you are a real man lets catch up and sort things out man to man."

Rosenberg alleges that she responded asking if Mr Knight was threatening a woman. It is common knowledge that the alias Jake Rosenberg is used by a female Carenne Saviour.

Mr Knight's response indicated that he believed Jake Rosenberg was Brian Carter and that he had put up with "12 months of heartache for one reason, A bus driver lets call him Jake did the wrong thing and was sacked. If this driver lets call him Jake or Brian wasnt doing the wrong thing we wouldnt have all this shit going on would we".

Mr Knight then goes on to say that Jake Rosenberg, who it is clear at this point he believes to be Mr Carter will get what is coming to him and that he should "hide under the rock you spider" indicating he is calling Rosenberg a rock spider.

This further demonstrates the types of thugs and bullies the Carenne Saviours are dealing with every day and the character of people that Gerard Martin, Member for Bathurst is protecting.