With the PIAA board election ballot drawing to a close, the PIAA is now urging eligible members who have not voted to do so before tomorrow’s 10am deadline.
Tasmania and Victoria are the only two seats across Australia which are being contested and it has been a busy month of campaigning for the four nominees.
In the Victorian seat, it is a battle between Finsbury Green CEO Peter Orel and former PIAA Victoria state manager Ron Patterson.
Orel did not want to provide comment until the election closes. Patterson tells Australian Printer the biggest issue he faces is rallying enough Victorian members to vote, an issue he hopes to address if elected.
“Victorian PIAA membership numbers have decreased significantly in the past four years,” Patterson says.
“The key issue is growing the membership base in Victoria, we have to ensure printers feel they are getting value for money when they are buying a membership, so it has to be promoted properly and we have to give them a product to buy.”
Patterson’s campaign involved canvassing support through an email biography which was sent to over 200 people.
He adds, “It has been a long and grinding election, so my fingers are crossed and I am looking forward to a positive result.”
Over in Tasmania, the race is between Mark Media general manager Martin Guilliamse, and former AIW Printing director Peter Clark.
Guilliamse says after speaking with Tasmanian members, he believes he has secured the majority of the vote.
“I have spoken to most members and they have said they will be support me, but in the end it will come down to what they put on the ballot papers,” he says.
“Some meetings were face to face and some were over the phone,” he continues. “What I did say to them was that if elected, I want to organise more state meetings so we can get together regularly to discuss the industry going forward.”
Clark has also held meetings with state members over the past month, and believes his industry background will tip the votes in his favour.
“I think most people were happy to talk to someone with my experience, and basically we discussed the PIAA and its relevance to them,” Clark says.
“Everyone that I have spoken to have been really impressed with the new PIAA CEO Andrew Macaulay, so that is a big positive for the association.”
This year the PIAA election is being run by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) for the first time.
PIAA president Kieran May says, “This is the first time the AEC has counted the votes, so I cannot compare this election to previous ones.
He adds, “Those who have not voted really need to dig up their ballot papers and get them lodged as soon as they can. We are keen to build a board that brings a diversity of perspective to the decision making and the direction of the association.”
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