Road Safety expert on RAA board loses endorsement

A move to exclude an RAA board member for re-election has divided the organisation, despite his impressive roads resume.

A move to exclude an RAA board member for re-election has divided the organisation.

Board member Martin Small has been disendorsed by the organisation despite being the state government’s car Czar — the Registrar of Motor Vehicles — for six years between 2006 and 2012.

Mr Small said RAA members who had been sent by the RAA the recommendation in election material not to vote for him had questioned the move.

The disendorsement is the end result of a debate about priorities in the increasingly complex 700,000 member organisation.

The RAA has a strong emphasis on insurance and holiday business, causing a clash with road safety advocates like Mr Small who runs a safety consultancy.

Former Registrar of Motor Vehicles Martin Small. Picture: RAA

Mr Small, who is also director of Football SA — said he was continuing with his campaign despite the new requirement for more financial experts to govern the financial emphasis of the organisation.

He said new rules had been put in place to encourage board members with governance and financial expertise, rather than his road safety focus.

“Members should vote for me and ensure there is Board experience in automotive, transport and mobility issues, and leadership towards a much safer community,” he said.

“I support board decisions but in this instance it (the new rules seeking other expertise for candidates) is a good process with a bad outcome.”

RAA president and chairman of the board, Peter Siebels, said the board qualification changes had been voted on by members in March 2021, requiring the review of all directors and candidates against endorsement criteria.

“This process ensures the RAA Board has an appropriate mix of skills, knowledge, and experience to govern our diverse commercial, community, and advocacy activities,’’ he said.

“As a current member of the Board, Mr Small endorsed the process which received unanimous support from all directors.”

He said the “highly desired and desired categories” were “information technology, digital, consumer, legal and regulatory and cyber security”.

Mr Small said he was able to quote two statements given to him in writing by members who would still vote for him:

One stated: “I get what the Board are looking for re particular skill set but am frankly astounded that someone with your specific expertise and experience, relevant to RAA’s core business, is deemed by the Board to not fit the skills criteria. I think the Board has got it wrong”.

And: “I don’t agree with the Board … and would like to see the RAA continue to have a strong road safety policy voice within our community”.

Mr Small was not critical of the board decision but said he was aware he had “broken the mould” when elected as a road safety expert at the election three years ago, at the expense of financial experts.

But an unsuccesful candidate for the RAA elections in 2014 has criticised the process.

Senior Adelaide lawyer Peter Moloney was given unfavourable treatment by the RAA in 2014 when he ran on a ticket to have the organisation do more to defend motorists rights in the reformed compulsory third party insurance scheme.

Pain and suffering compensation had been cut by the state government and Mr Moloney and backer – then Senator Nick Xenophon — were critical of a lack of RAA action on the issue.

“It does seem unusual that they have taken exception to this board member when he obviously has a very suitable background,’’ he said.

“I found out the path to going on the board was to have an incumbent retire mid-turn so the replacement was selected by the board and given an advantage down the track when the election happened and they ran.

“It was giving the allies of the board a significant advantage of incumbency (against me) because of the tendency of members to vote for people that were already on the board.”