Thomas Kelly's father defends $125,000 charity-funded salary
The father of one-punch victim Thomas Kelly has defended his salary of $125,000 paid from the charity he set up to put a stop to alcohol-fuelled violence.
The foundation's latest financial report reveals Ralph Kelly was paid 51 per cent ($125,000) of the annual revenue ($243,373), made between 2014-2015.
The Thomas Kelly Foundation’s latest financial report, reviewed by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, reveals the charity spent $43,234 on fundraising activities and $125,744 was allocated to employee expenses.
Mr Kelly has since confirmed his salary, but claims the report's figures do not reveal the $540,000 given to the Salvation Army to help fund the Take Kare Safe Spaces program from December 2014 to February 2016, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
"My salary was approved by all of the [TKYF] board members [and] all of the directors and it was disappointing to see that [the Daily Telegraph] reported that without waiting to speak to the directors or myself," Mr Kelly told the publication.
Mr Kelly is the director and sole employee of the charity and was paid almost double the average wage in Australia.
There is no suggestion Mr Kelly has done anything wrong - in fact, the foundation’s board of directors approved the wage payments to Mr Kelly.
Board members include Senior Australian Of The Year Gordian Fulde and the CEO of St Vincent’s Public Hospitals, Patricia O’Rourke.
Mr Kelly is also the Managing Director of Hemisphere Hospitality Solutions and had previously worked at Accor Hotels, a major sponsor of the foundation.
Mr Kelly set up the charity after his 18-year-old son Thomas was king hit in an unprovoked attack by Kieran Loveridge in Kings Cross in 2012.
Loveridge is currently serving 14 years for manslaughter.
A spokesman for the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission said there are no regulations when it comes to the amount of money charities spend on employee benefits and costs, the Daily Telegraph’ reported.
According to their website, the Thomas Kelly foundation was created to change Australia’s drinking culture through education, Safe Spaces and ‘Take Kare’ initiatives.
The NSW lock-out laws are at an all time high, after 15,000 people people marched Sydney's CBD on Sunday to protest the measures.
The rally was organised by the Keep Sydney Open group and carried on for hours in the city even after emergency workers called for the laws to stay.
The legislation requires central Sydney venues to turn people away from 1.30am, serve last drinks by 3am and ban the sale of takeaway alcohol after 10pm.
The suite of measures were introduced following a number of one-punch deaths and assaults during alcohol-fuelled nights out.
"We hit the dance floor, not each other," read one placard, while another read, "Drop the Mike!"
News break – February 22
