Just when it looked to be burning out, the RACP leadership spill has seen yet another twist.
The leadership crisis at the Royal Australasian College of Physicians has spiralled, with members voting to remove president Professor Jennifer Martin — only for the college board to later cast doubt on the result following a dramatic meeting disrupted by a police callout.
The extraordinary general meeting held today was meant to finalise the recent voting on whether to remove Professor Jennifer Martin as director and president of the RACP.
The voting results were as follows:
- Those in favour – 2179 (54.5%)
- Those against – 1819 (45.5%)
The EGM had a shaky start – about an hour before it began police were called to attend the RACP’s Sydney headquarters.
A police spokesperson told The Medical Republic that police were called in relation to a “dispute between individuals in relation to a board meeting”.
The spokesperson said no one was arrested or removed from the premises and police left without incident.
Shortly after the meeting ended, however, college members received an email from the RACP board alleging that the meeting was conducted improperly and that it has “grave concerns about the constitutionality” of the meeting.
The email, which was only signed as “the RACP board” said it had taken the view that “it is business as usual and … Professor Martin remains the Chair”.
Over 100 current RACP members signed on to convene the latest EGM with voting having ended on Monday after it began on 20th March.
“We will provide support for Professor Martin and wish her all the best in her future endeavours,” RACP president-elect Dr Sharmila Chandran said to members following the meeting.
“As chair of the board, I look forward to moving the organisation forward to focus on its core priorities.”
This follows an over-six-month long leadership bout that saw four EGMs between October and November, each with a $200k+ price tag paid by college funds.
Two of the four prior EGMs were aimed at removing Dr Chandran as the president elect and board director, with each one failing to grasp a majority vote.
The timing of this EGM has been met with concern given that Professor Martin’s full tenure as president is set to expire at the end of May this year.
Professor Martin has written an article for The Limbic in defence of her leadership of the college, with warnings that potential ongoing dysfunction could lead to regulator intervention.
“This board made a commitment to constitutional change which would have updated our governance to stop politicisation, personality conflict and agendas interfering with the core business of the college, which unfortunately has been a constant for decades,” Professor Martin said.
“When I accepted the role of president, I did so because I felt the RACP desperately needed change,” Martin said.
“I believe deeply in this college and in what it represents.
“Over the past year, that belief has been tested infinitely more than I expected.”
Related
The RACP honorary treasurer Dr Nicholas Buckmaster emailed members back in March stating the board had formally requested involvement of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).
This ACNC intervention request was later rejected by the commission.
“The independence of the sector appropriately means the ACNC does not take an active role in mediating or resolving internal disputes, including conflicts at board level,” ACNC commissioner Sue Woodward said in a letter to the RACP CEO.
