In February, he and his son pleaded guilty to breaching WA border restrictions when they flew a helicopter from the family’s Queensland cattle station to Perth without entry permission from the WA government and failed to quarantine.
Their lawyer argued “cognitive distortions” while stressed had contributed to Power’s decision-making at the time.
Poynton, who said he admired Power as a “man of integrity”, also said his criminal conviction did not breach the Corporations Act.
“The test as to whether you’ve breached the Corps Act, and in the case of an offence is you’ve got to be convicted of an offence that has a sentence of more than six months. Tick that box,” he said.
Poynton said Power’s failure to apply to enter WA in his helicopter did not breach honesty requirements set out in the Act.
“If you give a wrong answer a false answer to an inquiry, you’re dishonest. If you don’t actually put in a document that you probably shouldn’t have or you should have, then is that dishonest?
“As directors, we wanted to check, so we’ve had advice that there was no breach.”
Former National Covid commission chair Nev Power (right) leaves Perth Magistrates court after a sentencing hearing for breaching WA covid regulations.Credit:Trevor Collens
At his sentencing, Deputy Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Woods said Power and his son had shown a “significant lack of judgment with potential for very serious consequences in the community”.
Poynton said the board could not force Power to resign and shareholders would have the opportunity to remove him from the board at Strike’s AGM in November.
He said Power still had an “enormous amount of support” from the community, which included senior politicians, business people and shareholders.
“Going forward if there were another aberration then they’re not aberration any more, they’re kind of a change of character. I doubt there will be though,” he said.
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Power on: WA businessman defends board role for Nev Power after criminal conviction
Source: Philippines Alive
