If you were to believe the green movement’s propaganda, they are the only squeaky-clean troupe of ideologically pure, selfless servants of the people in the entire Australian polity. Graft, corruption, secrecy, dirty politics…there’s none of that kind of goblin mischief going on, down in Fairy Dell.
The Green party constantly campaign against political donations, yet somehow also managed to trouser the largest donation in Australian history. But that’s how it is, with this new breed of “woke” capitalists: the way to atone for amassing so much of that evil capital is through buying indulgences – ploughing vast amounts of donations into right-on causes and political parties.
One such environmentally woke capitalist is Jan Cameron CNZM.
Jan Cameron, the reclusive multi-millionaire businesswoman and founder of outdoor adventure wear retailer Kathmandu, could face up to 5 years in jail after the corporate regulator brought criminal charges against her over her involvement in the boardroom battle for infant milk formula group Bellamy’s three years ago.
The criminal charges revolve around the alleged nondisclosure of investments in Bellamy’s, which ASIC claims was hidden from public view via a mysterious shelf [sic] company called Black Prince domiciles in the Caribbean island of Curaçao.
Bellamy’s was later acquired by Chinese dairy group Mengnui in a 2019 that generated a return of as much as $300 million for Ms Cameron, who sold her stake in to the takeover.
This is a very big deal, in Tasmania. Tassie is the classic small pond, where one or two very big corporate fish hog all the mudholes. Like other Tasmanian companies and landowners, Bellamy’s have also made some very serious money out of China (although, to be fair, Cameron tried to buy the Van Diemen’s Land Company ahead of a Chinese company, but was overruled by none other than then-treasurer Scott Morrison, in a deal which still rankles many in Tasmania).
Ms Cameron has been charged with contravening sections 671B (1) and 1308(2) of the Corporations Act, with the charges listed for a mention hearing before the Hobart Magistrates’ Court on March 12.
The maximum penalty for contravening this section is five years’ imprisonment or 200 penalty units or both, ASIC said.
At first blush, this might seem like nothing more than the kind of business shenanigans that are all too common in places like Tasmania: tiny ponds with one or two very big fish. What does any of this have to do with the green movement?
For months the true identity of Black Prince and the investors behind it remained a mystery[…]It was later revealed Ms Cameron was behind Black Prince. It was revealed the ultimate beneficiary of the Black Prince was an entity called the Elsie Cameron Foundation, set up as an environmental charity by Ms Cameron…
theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/jan-cameron-charged-by-asic-over-bellamys-stake/
Oh, what a tangled green web they weave, here in Tasmania.
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