New PIAA president Kieran May and the remaining Board members have deferred tomorrow’s showdown Special General Meeting for 14 days in an attempt to reach some level understanding with irate members. May spoke with Tom Eckersley, the unofficial spokesman of the Members Action Group, and then took the decision to postpone the SGM. The PIAA says further reasons will be given today. The SGM had been due to take place tomorrow, and was being viewed as a showdown between the Board and the Action Group following months of escalating crisis and conflict within the PIAA, which have seen the resignations of five of the nine person Board including presidents, as well as the CEO and various other staff members.

The PIAA Board has delayed the SGM by 14 days

Eckersley told Australian Printer, “The Board called an SGM and it is their prerogative to defer it.” Eckersley could not confirm the cause of the delay, or if the recent departure of Ross Black was behind the decision, stating, “I think there is ongoing positive discussions happening.” The date of the SGM has been an ongoing debate between members and the Board. Weeks ago the Members Action Group sent a demand letter to the Board, which among other demands asked for the immediate resignation of Allen. They threatened to call an SGM and vote no confidence in the Board if their demands were not met. The PIAA then outmanoeuvred the group by calling for the February 23 date, and making it a vote of confidence in the Board. More to follow.

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