The fourth and final RACP EGM today delivered a massive win for president-elect Dr Sharmila Chandran, shutting down repeated attempts to oust her from the board.
’Twas a fateful day for the RACP, as its final Extraordinary General Meeting revealed solidified member support for president-elect Dr Sharmila Chandran.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has been embroiled in a months-long leadership dispute that has drawn criticism from members over how it has consumed time and member funds.
The EGM not only boasted a record voter turnout, but also a convincing margin of victory; 74% voted against ousting Dr Chandran as president-elect.
Well over 7000 members (7444) turned out to vote, with 1873 members voting for the resolution to remove Dr Chandran as president-elect and board director overwhelmed by the remaining 5418 members voting against.
At time of writing, the college has yet to officially announce the result; however, The Medical Republic has confirmed these figures with multiple sources, including the RACP.
This EGM marks the fourth in less than a month, with the first three occurring on October 31.
All four have failed, with each meeting day costing the college roughly $200,000 to $250,000.
A member-led petition was set up to vouch for today’s EGM to be shot down to no avail, with the lack of a board endorsement disqualifying the petition from going forward.
“As soon as the EGM results came out on the 31 October, we were being inundated,” Dr Chandran told The Medical Republic on 7 November.
“So myself, all the board members, and the college were being inundated by calls from members asking for the fourth EGM to be stopped.
“Members set up a petition – within 24 hours 160 people put their names down on this petition asking the college to do whatever it takes to stop a fourth EGM.
“… The money belongs to members, doesn’t belong to us personally, and we are here to serve members, not personal agendas, and that’s when it will end.”
Whistleblowers have further added to the noise, with a report obtained by Michael West Media alleging potentially unlawful conduct from directors.
Issued to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the 297-page report has given evidence of extensive governance failures that could prompt regulator intervention.
According to Michael West Media, the report concludes that Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission standards may have been breached by the college.
