Bradbury, who had been acting chair since May, confirmed on Monday that she had quit after being overlooked for the permanent role. Fellow board members Margaret Burdeu and Emma Germano, a former president of the Victorian Farmers Federation, have also resigned. According to the ABC, acting chief executive Keith Louie is also departing. The Age reported it was unable to contact Burdeu, Germano or Louie.
Bradbury said she was disappointed to miss out after leading the organisation through a difficult period. "I thought I had done a really good job in the (acting) role in some very challenging times and stabilised the organisation [and] recruited the new CEO and I didn't get the role and I wasn't really afforded with any compelling reasons as to why not from the government," she said. "I make no bones about it; I wanted the job." She said her decision was not about Guerra personally and that she had not asked other members to join her. "I did not ask for anybody to follow, it was not meant to be a coup, but there we are, that is what the other directors have decided to do."
Agriculture Minister Michaela Settle defended the appointment, saying Guerra brought experienced leadership to the "vital work" of getting Victorians their vegies. "Paul knows what it takes to lead a major market from his time chairing Queen Victoria Market," she said.
Opposition spokesman James Newbury described the saga as emblematic of an "end-of-days" government. "When experienced board members would rather resign than endorse Labor's decision, it shows just how badly this government has undermined confidence in merit-based appointments," he said. The market is already an election issue, with the opposition pledging to privatise it if it wins the November poll.
Guerra was appointed following a competitive recruitment process. He was sacked as chief executive of the Melbourne Football Club in April after seven months in the role, and launched an unfair dismissal claim in the Federal Court in August.