Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has demanded Racing Victoria launch an immediate investigation into the special meeting that has allowed Melbourne Racing Club office bearers to add six years to their terms.
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Kennett said Racing Victoria chief executive Bernard Saundry should have a complete report by the end of the week and if it is found that MRC board members engineered the result or the process, they must "be disqualified" from holding those positions.
"It sounds and smells very peculiar. And I would think if you were going for extra terms it must be after an election or a referendum," Kennett said.
Club members have reacted angrily since Thursday night when a successful vote was carried to allow chairman Mike Symons, vice-chairman Peter Le Grand and treasurer Domenic Romanelli to extend their terms following the meeting.
Some members claimed the meeting should have been declared "null and void" after Le Grand admitted he had sent the information regarding the meeting out only to friends who were members.
"I have had a lot of emails and twitter traffic asking me to look at the situation and I have found it extremely concerning," Kennett said.
"I know Bernard Saundry, he is a decent, soft man and he should now be gathering information for an investigation that can be released at the end of the week.
"What's been said here is extremely worrying. If it's found that the meeting was not advertised to all members it should be declared null and void.
"Surely the racing industry knows that you ask trainers, owners and jockeys to stand up and be accountable so surely these individuals come under that same category.
"I know that the racing minister, Martin Pakula, will act quickly and strongly once he receives Saundry's report hopefully as soon as Friday," he added.
Other members have said on such a contentious issue the vote should have required a two-thirds majority to be successful, instead of the first past the post system adopted on Thursday night.
Jake Norton, a spokesman for MRC, said the club had received correspondence from Racing Victoria on Friday and the club would address that correspondence this week.
Saundry confirmed he had asked for a full explanation of what happened at the club's special meeting on Thursday night.
Fairfax Media has been told rank and file members were only notified via a web page relating to promotions.
They say a formal notice should have been sent to all members.
Incensed members are now calling on RVL – the regulator for racing in Victoria – to act quickly as they are prepared to discard their memberships at the MRC.
"At the meeting I repeatedly questioned the committee about the missing information from the original email in relation to postal voting," club member Pat O'Kane said.
"No answer was given and despite repeated attempts to have the question answered [acting club chairman Rod Fenwick] declined to respond."
He added that another member tried to move twice that all postal votes be disregarded given that all members had not been adequately informed and some votes had been solicited through the sending of postal ballots to select "friends".
The postal votes were then announced, a total of 139, of which 110 were in favour. A vote was then taken of those attending. The majority voted against. The motion was eventually carried directly as a result of the postal votes.
