8.40pm: A past chair of the NZ AIDS Foundation has accused the current board of putting its own interests before the Foundation's interests, and is calling for the organisation's membership to be allowed to decide whether the board should remain on duty or step down. Michael Stevens, who oversaw an abolition of quotas for Maori, Pacific Island, and HIV+ representation during his time as chair three years ago has responded to the embattled current board's decision to resist calls to resign and battle its way through constitutional and consultation issues which have seen it mired in controversy. He suspects board members are putting their own ideological agendas before the good of the Foundation's work in HIV education, prevention and support. The current problems came to a head after the board suddenly announced Maori and HIV positive member quota proposals and concurrently its just-resigned chair impugned the Foundation at an international health conference. "They've taken an easy way out that might be to their benefit but not to the organisation's benefit,” says Stevens, who went on record as the crisis of confidence grew, suggesting the entire board should step down. “The board as a whole has publicly stated their support for the process from when it was announced with no consultation that they were going to impose quotas, to then backing down. The fact that they have consistently in public spoken as one means that they have to go together... you can't just pick and choose between certain members of the board, they have to collectively bear the responsibility." “Clive Aspin had to resign because of comments made at the conference in Mexico. Where you have someone in his position standing in a public forum casting aspersions on the Foundation then that person does not deserve to continue in a governance role." Aspin has today resigned as chair but remains on the board. Stevens was a member of the board when the constitution's checks and balances were 'rejigged' "but we never imagined it was going to end up like this. I think they should now take this issue to the membership... they must be prepared to listen to the membership very carefully." He says people "from all round the country" have been talking to about the situation "and we are considering what the next move in the best interests of the Foundation should be." Stevens says he doesn't enjoy criticising this board. "It's not something I envisaged doing or having to do. I did explain my reservations to the board privately before I went public and it was only when it seemed they were hell-bent on not consulting that I felt obliged to step in."