Australian documentary reveals enduring impact of corporate corruption: “Yet another letdown story for Geelong.”
Newly released Australian documentary, Don’t Take the Call, has revealed the enduring impact of failed start-up Scale Facilitation following the Australian Federal Police’s raid over an alleged $126 M in corporate tax fraud and misconduct, June 2023.
Promising home-grown electric vehicle batteries with resounding support from the Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, the Geelong-based global enterprise left a wake of unpaid wages and debts as its finances collapsed.
The Reality Learning Studio production offers five 15-minute episodes featuring the lived experience of former employees and their families to shine a light on the toxic culture, alleged misconduct, and “jobs for mates” that continues to have the community reeling.
This is one of Australia’s largest corporate tax fraud cases, Director and former Geelong resident, Jeremy Bowtell said. “The founding CEO David Collard was vigorously endorsed by Richard Marles and Peter Dutton just months prior to the company’s collapse when they both flew to New York to present at the company’s office launch.
“This warrants reflection on the types of entrepreneurs and companies that our politicians trust, and the checks and balances that we rely on. Scale Facilitation was only investigated in 2023 due to an anonymous whistleblower tip-off, not from standard audits or government regulation.”
As the company’s first employee and central interview of the documentary, Michael Graham says the financial and emotional stress the collapse caused him and his family was deep for him and others. “It’s a level of anger I have never experienced before, one that no one should have to go through.”
Graham calls into question the due diligence from political leaders who have yet to acknowledge the local impact. Referring to his conversation with Marles, Graham says:
“We’re the same. I got duped; you got duped. But how can we learn from this and ensure it doesn’t happen again?”
With the impact of unpaid debts and wages still felt across Geelong amidst the cost-of-living crisis, Graham asks, “Would you want this to happen in your town? I don’t think anybody would say yes.”