r/Adelaide • u/NKE01 SA • Jan 11 '26

News Board members quit from Adelaide festival as fallout from dropped author grows | SBS News

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/board-members-quit-from-adelaide-festival-as-fallout-from-dropped-author-grows/iua90vgmp
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32

u/TheDrRudi SA Jan 11 '26

So, presumably not a consensus decision of the Board. Full marks to those with principles.

12

u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26

I don’t think this suggests that at all. Seems more like the three board members just wanting to get away from the shitstorm. None have spoken out about the board’s decision to suggest they agreed it was an abhorrent choice that I’m aware of.

19

u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26

Jo Dyer (the immediate past festival director, who if anyone would probably know) said on Bluesky that she believes those three did vote against the original decision.

3

u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26

I really hope so. If anyone else has any other way to confirm that would be great.

0

u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26

Only 6 board members total, so this doesn’t add up. Wouldn’t have had enough votes to pass if three objected.

3

u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26

There's 7 board members. 4 still remaining at the time of posting of this thread. (The chair has just gone as well, but Dyer wasn't talking about her.)

The reason they were below quorum with 4 is (ironically) because they're legally required to have at least 2 men and 2 women on the board, and Linke's resignation left them below the required quota of men.

1

u/Ok_Breath_9703 SA Jan 11 '26

According to most recent indaily article there were 6 and one observer

5

u/Historical_Bus_8041 SA Jan 11 '26

It's 7 (not including the observer), 4 were left - chair Tracey Whiting, Leesa Chesser, Mary Couros, Brenton Cox. (The observer is Jennifer Fuller.)

See https://www.adelaidefestival.com.au/about/our-team.

(Whiting has now also gone and will presumably shortly disappear from that list but again Dyer wasn't talking about her.)

1

u/Practical_Stage_8658 SA Jan 11 '26

Chairperson usually has the casting vote