The last Swimwatch post recommended that the Regions take back management control of Swimming New Zealand (SNZ). The sport needs to revert to a truly democratic organisation. Control by a Sport New Zealand oligarchy has not worked. Too many of those appointed have not brought the expertise expected. Incompetence combined with power has been catastrophic.

In my opinion decisions taken by appointed Chairmen Layton and Cotterill wasted millions and compromised the careers of two generations of New Zealand’s best swimmers. Sport New Zealand’s form of governance and their money left behind incredible waste. That is not to say all the appointed directors were inept. In fact, some, like Margaret McKee, have made a very positive contribution. I knew Margaret when she was a national junior champion swimmer in Gisborne. We both swam for the Comet Swimming Club. In swimming terms Margaret was born and raised in the gospel. We were then both sent to boarding school in Wellington. I found it impossible to combine the restrictions of high school boarding with swimming training. Margaret continued to train when she could at Freyberg Pool. So yes, her swimming combined with her academic ability and experience have made her a valuable member of the SNZ Board.

I certainly would vote for McKee in a democratically elected Board. The problem however is not the person. The problem is their method of appointment. Their absolute power. Their lack of responsibility to the membership is terminal. Good ones are never the problem. Make a mistake though and appoint a dud and, as I have said, incompetence combined with power is catastrophic. The membership is powerless to replace a bad leader. In ten years SNZ has twice been in that position. And that is why swimming needs to revert to a democratic form of government.

Let’s consider what the advantages would be to SNZ of reverting to a democratic constitution.

1. A democratic form of governance would give members a greater chance to become personally involved with the organisation.
2. The structure of a democracy works to prevent officials ignoring the needs of the membership in favour of Wellington bureaucrats. What the members want becomes more important than what Wellington wants.
3. Democracies grow faster than other forms of government. The freedom offered in the structures of democracy allows the general population to seek any result they want. Of course, Sport New Zealand would not see this as a plus. It wants what it wants irrespective of the membership. That is why Sport New Zealand imposed an oligarchy ten years ago.
4. Democracy offers SNZ more consistent governance. Once a year everyone comes together to vote in a way that is helpful for all the members.
5. Most important for SNZ, democracy does not create a centralised power base for imposing rules. Voters have an opportunity to change their elected officials every year to control their destiny. For ten years SNZ has been denied that freedom.
6. Members would identify better with those in Antares Place to create a stronger level of loyalty. Currently almost all comments are critical of the organisation. That is primarily because we are disenfranchised. In a democracy we all contribute. The current SNZ oligarchy can and does dictate those choices.
7. Associated with increased loyalty, a democratic SNZ would reduce the level of conflict. Court cases, disputes, arguments, unanswered emailsand ignored phone calls would still exist, but their volume would be far less. It is amazing what a little democratic loyalty can achieve.

Sport New Zealand will disagree with most of those seven points. The power of “their” money is what Sport New Zealand understands. SNZ’s governance was conceived by Sport New Zealand to protect their investment. Swimming’s oligarchy had nothing to do with what was best for swimming or what the membership wanted. It was fathered by and born to a Sport New Zealand grab for power. After ten years we know it does not work. Participation is 26% down and performance is almost zero. All the awful features of autocracies the world over are manifest in miniature in the governance of SNZ. It really is time for a democratic change.

PS – The 26% decline in membership has cost SNZ between $500,000 and $1.0million per year. Without that loss a democratic SNZ could be approaching Sport New Zealand with an offer to invest rather than crawling next door with a begging bowl. That’s what Sport New Zealand’s oligarchy has cost us.