The college’s AGM is now in question due to board instability and widespread member confusion.
Just when it seemed the leadership crisis at the RACP could not deepen further, fresh disputes over governance, legitimacy and regulatory intervention have pushed the college into even murkier territory, with its upcoming annual general meeting now hanging in the balance.
In the aftermath of last week’s extraordinary general meeting, convened to determine the fate of current president Professor Jennifer Martin, uncertainty continues to swirl around the composition and authority of the college’s board.
While the EGM formally returned a vote in favour of removing Professor Martin from her position, the validity of that outcome is now under active dispute from within the board itself.
Compounding the confusion, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) register currently lists Professor Martin ass no longer serving as college president.
However, that update has itself become a flashpoint, with claims it was made without full board endorsement, raising further questions about governance processes and internal controls.
The ACNC has now responded to the allegedly unapproved changes, stating that access to the charity’s portal has been restricted to prevent further changes that may confuse members.
The EGM’s results ruled in favour of removing Professor Martin from her role as president but due to the issues surrounding the EGM, board members have questioned the validity of the results.
According to the RACP director Dr Nicholas Buckmaster, regular RACP communiques are now deliberately not in use to “avoid increasing the substantial stress on RACP staff in the current environment”.
In a letter posted to LinkedIn Dr Buckmaster has stated that members of the board wrote to the ACNC calling for the appointment of external administrators to allow an independent assessment of the meeting’s legality.
“In March, together with the College’s CEO, we wrote to the ACNC and asked it to suspend the board, including ourselves,” Dr Buckmaster wrote.
“We stated that the College was at risk of non-compliance with the ACNC’s Governance Standards.
“It is clear to us that the EGM crystallised that risk.”
Another board suspension has also been suggested given the recent EGM confusion.
“We again request that the ACNC suspend the board and appoint acting responsible entities to permit to the College to determine, free of interference, the legality of the recent EGM,” the letter reads.
“Once the College understands the legality of the EGM, then it will be able to move forward and hold its AGM.
“The College has been contacted by the ACNC in relation to recent events.
“The ACNC have sought a meeting due to significant concerns.”
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The upcoming Annual General Meeting will reportedly be held on 29 May this year, which coincides with the date that Professor Martin would have originally ended her tenure as college president.
Whether this AGM will be held is still tentative with Dr Buckmaster arguing that due to current board instability the AGM cannot be held in accordance with guidelines.
“To prepare for this meeting, the College must have a Board, not two competing boards,” the letter reads.
“The executives of the College need to liaise with the Board to settle reports.
“We cannot see how the AGM can proceed in the absence of resolution of the current schism.
“We accept that not everyone will agree with us.
“That is why the members require a legal determination of that issue.
“The AGM must await that determination so that it can serve its purpose.
“If you receive a Notice of Meeting for 29 May 2026, it has, in our view, been issued by a group of people wrongly claiming to be the Board of the College.”
