Swimwatch has recorded many thousands of words about the treachery of Swimming New Zealand. Over ten years the bunch of crooks that lead this sport have directly damaged the careers of two generations of New Zealand swimmers. Anyone who resisted their deception has been slandered and libelled; condemned and harassed. Cameron laboured long hours to ensure I never worked in New Zealand – just ask the Fairfield Swim Club. Byrne contacted the Swim Coaches Association and asked them to discipline their rogue member. Ironically he failed – I wasn’t a member. I doubt that Swimming New Zealand can damage me much more. Just about everything negative it’s possible to say about someone has already been said. If half the stuff they say was true, it would be very bad indeed. Some people believe it, some don’t.

Without question, the publication of the Ineson Report was personal. At last the essence of what I had been writing in Swimwatch for eight years was endorsed by an official report. Swimming New Zealand’s problem was Cameron, Coulter and Byrne. In Swimwatch terms, they were useless. They could run around New Zealand saying what they liked about me and anyone else they did not like, but at the end of the day 83% of swimming people thought they were a waste of space – and that’s a score, I bet, that beats even me.

However as at 3 o’clock this afternoon, all my writing on Swimwatch counted for nothing. I arrived home to find a copy of a report prepared by Bronwen Radford in my email in tray; her Coalition Manifesto. Her report sets out the history of how the Regions finally asked the current Board to resign. It is a tale of Shakespearian dishonesty. In Hamlet, Macbeth and The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare came up with some pretty awful examples of human deprivation. Radford’s account makes equally unpleasant reading. But, worse really, because in Radford’s case the tale she tells is true. It actually happened. And it happened here in New Zealand. Jane has attached Radford’s report to the Regions at the conclusion of this article.

While Radford’s account of history makes compelling reading it is her look into the future that I found irresistible. At the bottom of page six she begins her analysis of the future with the sentence, “I guess we started this so it is only right we finish it.” Churchill could not have said it better. That sentence tells you all you need to know about why Radford needs to lead Swimming New Zealand. It tells you why she is so different from Cameron, Coulter and Byrne. While Coulter is playing around not letting anyone know whether he is going to stand for re-election or not, Radford is setting about finishing the task she has got herself into. One is an idiot the other is a leader.
Radford then goes on to propose the following course of action.

1. We now reply to SNZ advising them that, based on legal opinion, remits have been submitted for consideration at the AGM that allow for accountability to be required of the Board.
2. At the conclusion of the AGM, a letter will be tabled requesting a SGM at which time all Board members (with the exception of those newly elected) resign in accordance with the capacity which will be granted under the new remits, and nominations for board members (new or old) will be called.
3. I will now also take the opportunity of clarifying the question regarding a question I have been asked frequently: “But who is standing. You cannot ask the Board to resign without knowing who will stand. I want to see the names before I decide to sign the letter requesting the SGM.” I want to see us have a new board appointed who has the full support of the membership as we are facing difficult times ahead. I want the board to be made up of people who understand what it means to be accountable for their actions and decisions. While I have some good people in my mind who I think could make a big difference. I am sure all of you also know people with the right skills to put forward.

1. We cannot advance further than this as SNZ and its board now hold all the cards associated with the AGM. Until they publish all the remits that have been submitted, the voting numbers, the nominations etc, it is very hard to make exact decisions. We do not get this until 14 days prior to the AGM, and so when it is published we will give it very careful evaluation at that point.
2. Should regions be in agreement with this strategy then please email by return and I remain happy to co-ordinate this process.

So that’s the Radford plan and it is a good one. I know Swimming New Zealand have tried to spread the impression that Swimwatch complain about everything. That is not true. The way Radford and the Coalition have gone about this difficult business is most admirable. They deserve all our support. 83% of those involved in swimming told Ineson the current leadership is deficient. It is important that 83% now support those that are setting about making a change – because you can bet the 17% that support Cameron, Coulter and Byrne will be making more noise than the rest of us.