Alleged fraudster fails in pay case

Alleged Cancer Council fraudster Amanda Power has failed in an attempt to get the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission to scrap a decision by the Department of Youth Justice to stop paying her wage once she was charged with nine counts of fraud.

Police allege the former Townsville woman, who was formerly employed by Cancer Council Queensland, fraudulently became one of its ambassadors and travelled on the charity’s dollar to attend fundraising events, including overseas, where she gave inspirational talks.

It is also alleged that former Australian of the Year Nominee received almost $13,000 from a fundraising page, and from people in the community who donated money and services believing she had cancer.

According to the QIRC’s decision, two days after police charged Ms Power on September 21, 2022 she told her new employer that she had been charged with one count of fraud – not nine.

The department immediately suspended Ms Power with pay, but by October 14 2022 the department had decided it was not appropriate that she continue to be paid her normal wage and consequently informed her that the duration of her suspension would be unpaid.

Ms Power filed an appeal of the decision to suspend her without pay to the Industrial Registry on 4 November 2022, arguing that the decision to suspend her without remuneration would have impact her family, as she will likely incur significant legal costs in the course of defending the criminal charges.

However, QIRC Deputy President Catherine Hartigan ultimately found that the department’s decision to suspend Ms Power from duties without normal remuneration was fair and reasonable and dismissed the appeal.