As the dust settles on the PIAA election results, questions remain over how effective the unchanged board will be after such a bloody campaign.

Last week’s poll saw all incumbent board members returned and all but one of president David Leach’s preferred candidates elected, with Bob Yeates defeating Flying Colours managing director Craig Pearce for the Tasmanian seat the only deviation.

Leach and Yeates, who will now have to work together despite Leach backing Pearce, insist there will be no animosity between them as they get on with association business.

“I do not see it as an issue,” Leach says. “Everyone is professional and I’m sure all those elected just want the best for the industry.”

“I look forward to being part of the team that will deliver real value to all members old and new in the immediate future.”

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Yeates says it is ‘a privilege to be elected’ and he will act with a ‘balanced view’ in representing Tasmania.

“It is water under the bridge with me and David. It does not worry me what people say or do, I will go in the direction Tassie members want,” he says.

However, Pearce is not so sure, telling ProPrint that while he thinks the two will find a way to work together, ‘their relationship could be slightly tarnished’.

He says this is not the only problem for the Board as many members are concerned about its lack of stability and ‘angst’ between some of its members.

“The Board cannot make good decisions if people have personal agendas,” he says.

The loss of members and relevance is of great concern to defeated candidates Pearce and Roy Aldrich, who believe the PIAA is losing its regional voice.

“Victoria is one of the biggest states for printing and used to have equal representation with NSW,” Aldrich says. “Now NSW always has four representatives and the board seems to want it to stay that way.”

Aldrich says the ‘unfair attack’ by Leach ‘did not do my election chances a lot of  good’ and says he only spoke out through his controversial missive to defend himself. He claims printers are ‘resigning in large numbers’ from the PIAA.

Pearce says Tasmania’s representation at the PIAA has been ‘pathetic’ and that the membership is losing confidence in the board, with a 60-staff company recently leaving as a result.

He says a lack of organised meeting in Tasmania to discuss issues facing the local industry is a symptom of this poor representation.

“I hope our elected representative will come through and improve things, because Tasmanian printers will not stand for it anymore – the association will lose more members here,” he says.

Pearce says he stood for election because he felt the need to change the way the state was being represented.

“Tasmania needs a strong, clear voice standing up for it. I am passionate about this state and the printing industry,” he says.

“There needs to be a better connection with members – that is why the association exists. Representatives need to be out listening to members needs.

“I think we need someone on the ground with the time to talk to members in person.

“The industry is changing dramatically and the board needs to steer members with information on how to deal with that.”

He says the board also needs to consider the fee structure because printers want better value for money.

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Elected national board member Kieran May says he would like to improve communication between the PIAA and the members and industry.

“There is so much that gets done that is almost a secret. There are those in the industry who pursue issues after the fact, there are those who quietly work to get done what can be done,” he says.

“There are also those who have been around for a while who cannot accept that we must not only keep abreast of what is happening, we need to adopt policies that lead rather than to simply yearn for yesterday.”

May hopes younger candidates with fresh ideas will stand in future elections to replace the old guard like him.

With the election over, Leach says the PIAA needs to focus on delivering services to members and helping printers navigate the turbulent waters of change.

“The game is change. There is almost no industry untouched by the tsunami of amazing, yet disruptive, technologies,” he says.

“As an association we have been very successful for a long time in assisting members. This has been through the provision of legal assistance on all employment issues, in lobbying government on major matters that could adversely affect our industry, and most recently the Future Print Program where we are working with government and unions to develop a more appropriate, accessible, flexible and complete training pathways.

“Your PIAA Board will focus on helping our members understand, accept and adapt to the new realities, and to provide learning opportunities for members, large and small, to directly assist them in running financial enterprises that are successful – profitable and sustainable.”

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