Cavendish woolgrower Robert Lawrance has hit back at the barrage of criticism against Australian Wool International (AWI) chairman Wal Merriman, saying it’s based on personal politics and not on the AWI’s performance.
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Mr Lawrance said he did not know Mr Merriman personally but could not fault the AWI policies that Mr Merriman had overseen.
“I am disappointed there has been so much negative press again Wal when so many Key Performance Indicators (for AWI) have been hit,” he said.
Mr Lawrance, a member of the AWI’s Wool Exchange Portal (WEP) build committee, said Mr Merriman had been very good for the wool industry.
Under Mr Merriman’s leadership, AWI had become an aggressive marketing body.
Wool prices had risen in recent years more than other textiles in the apparel market, he said.
Mr Merriman has faced scrutiny about swearing at a reporter and Mr Lawrance said Mr Merriman was a “gruff” man who ran the AWI “well and hard.”
Other recent criticisms against Mr Merriman have included that he had control of too many undirected proxy votes in an election for AWI board members.
Mr Lawrance said shareholders in publicly listed companies often gave undirected proxy votes to the board chair and the situation at AWI was no different.
He said if woolgrowers wanted to have more say in the outcome of AWI board elections, they should allocate their votes themselves.
Another concern that Mr Merriman should not have written a letter to woolgrowers endorsing incumbent candidates at this month’s board elections was also unwarranted, Mr Lawrance said,
He regarded Mr Merriman’s letter as “a captain’s pick” and Mr Merriman did not need to refer to any caucus in making his recommendations, he said.
The AWI has also been slated as “old guard” in not promoting advances in sheep genetics and not responding to consumer concerns about sheep mulesing.
But Mr Lawrance said AWI had funded the Bred Well Fed Well that focused heavily on genetics.
Mr Lawrance also backed Mr Merriman’s claim that wool brokers supported the WEP proposal.
He said all three brokers on the WEP committee had supported the proposal.
However the National Council of Wool Selling Brokers has said it had no position on the WEP proposal.
The AWI annual general meeting will be held on November 17. Five candidates will vie for three board positions at the AGM but Mr Merriman’s position is not among those being contested.
