In a communication to members sent on Thursday, AIOFP director Peter Johnston said Mr De Gori’s comments during the podcast indicated the association had been involved in efforts to get the deadline extended, which had only been possible with the agreement of both major political parties.
“There is one only person responsible for the ALP, via shadow minister Stephen Jones, supporting the safe passage of this legislation, and that is the FSU’s assistant national secretary and former NSW premier, Nathan Rees,” Mr Johnston said.
“Nathan has been prosecuting advisers’ case with shadow minister Jones over the past six months, where he convinced the ALP that this current government has gone too far and the pendulum had to swing back to reasonableness and fairness. He did have some assistance from the AIOFP.”
Mr Johnston told ifa his association’s members had joined the FSU in large numbers in the lead-up to the 2019 election, hoping to increase the political lobbying power of the advice sector after several years of damaging regulatory change.
“We started promoting members to become part of the FSU in early 2018 in the lead up to the federal election – [Bill] Shorten looked like winning and the FSU and Nathan are very close to [Tanya] Plibersek, [Chris] Bowen and [Anthony] Albanese, so it made political sense,” Mr Johnston said.
“We have around 600 members in the FSU ‘Advice column’ and I am a member. Despite the ALP losing [the election], they are still circa 45 per cent of the vote and we need them to co-operate to pass legislation outside of the cross-benchers.”
Speaking in the podcast, Mr De Gori said the FPA was confident the extension would pass the Senate when Parliament was able to properly sit again, and that “as soon as there is some ability for us to take a breath following the coronavirus crisis, we will be on the front foot ensuring that does get done”.
“That is something critical for us,” he said.
However, Mr Johnston said that “considering the FPA did not support the FSU campaign to assist our industry before the last election, it’s fair to say they played no part in these changes to the legislation”.
Peter works very hard for the advisers, and always has.
A bit ironic a guy given tips on how to deal with clients during CoronaVirus. Yet funnily enough, nothing was mentioned about handling complaints. I guess the approach of just ignoring them for 12 months and hoping they’ll go away dosen’t quite work as exposed at the Royal Commission. Good work to the AIOFP for calling out this clown.
For those that say nothing will be done because there is too many associations. That’s not the issue, this CEO has lost all credibility and that association is on the payroll of certain parties publicly disgraced. FPA members should stand up and call an end to those relationships.
anyone know when the feb exams are out?
One of my advisers had a meeting with Jane Hume when she was in Queensland and it was made quite clear ,until their is one body representing the industry,Government was not listening to any of them.The problem with the associations is like all the football associations,all on high salaries and to much self interest.The associations will see that when next member fees are sent out!!!
The problem is one such association is on the payroll and mere puppets of CBA,AMP, NAB etc etc etc.
Oh what a fragmented industry we work in. 3 or 4 professional organisations, all with different agendas and ideas. Thing is none can agree on anything. When are we going to wake up? This fragmentation is the main source of our weakness, its there for all to see. How can the government listen to us if they get mixed messages. We need to unite, but can you see any of the big wigs at the associations giving up the gravy train of members money to form one strong association that would be reckoned with and a force to be listened to? They dont give a stuff about the industry itself, just care about membership fees to pay their exorbitant wages, 300K to head an assocation with no identifiable KPIS are you kidding me? No wonder they wont unite, its all just too easy for them!