Appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University?

By David

Today I received a reply from Peter Miskimmin. His letter is reproduced below. I am grateful that Miskimmin has taken the time to reply to my email. However, in my view, Miskimmin’s letter is full of the deception and guile that characterizes much of New Zealand sport. The most brilliant piece of trickery is in the third paragraph. Here is what the letter says, “SPARC did not direct the Board of Swimming NZ about any of its decisions. The terms of reference for the two nominee directors, as agreed between SPARC and Swimming NZ, state that “All decision making whatsoever including whether to accept or act on any input from the (nominee directors) is retained by Swimming NZ”.

Do you see the classic sting? Whatever Miskimmin’s hired guns on the Board of Swimming New Zealand say; whatever intimidation they exercise; whatever stand over tactics they employ, whatever financial destitution they threaten it can never be inappropriate because Miskimmin has a piece of paper that says, irrespective of the provocation, every decision is down to Swimming New Zealand.

What a sick joke. Does Miskimmin really expect swimming people to swallow the line that anything Miskimmin does is lawful because he has a piece of paper signed by Swimming New Zealand that says anything he does is lawful. The last people to use a defence like that were found guilty in Nuremberg in 1946.

Well, SPARC I don’t give a damn what your agreement with Swimming New Zealand says. It is of no concern to me that you have conned Swimming New Zealand into signing a permanent get out of jail card. When your hired guns go into a Swimming New Zealand Board Meeting and threaten ruin; when they use the financial might of SPARC to change the vote of the Swimming New Zealand Board – then that is wrong beyond belief. Miskimmin, you can hide behind semantics. You can use linguistic deception in an attempt to justify the unjustifiable. But your representatives, and therefore you, acted like school yard bullies. You deserve to be taken down and we will work for as long as it takes to see that happen.

The rest of the letter is pretty much empty words. With arrogance unique to public servants Miskimmin attempts to insult me by asking me not to bother him any further because I am merely a “member of the public who was not present at the meeting.” Well, Peter Miskimmin, members of the public are not second class flotsam for you to ignore. You are employed by us. Your Minister is elected by us. The Ombudsman’s Office was established to protect us. I will not be palmed off to your puppets that sit on the Swimming New Zealand Board. I will deal directly with you whether you like it or not. Because you are the problem. And beware the reply you have given in this letter is weak and will not work with the members of the public that read Swimwatch.

I will now write to the Minister of Sport complaining that SPARC’s representatives misused their position on the Swimming New Zealand Board and improperly forced three members to alter their vote to decline the nomination of Butler and Wrightson.

Here is a copy of Miskimmin’s reply.

  • Rhi Jeffrey

    What a dick munch!

  • Sensible Swimming

    David, I am led to believe that FINA has contacted SNZ following your complaint. I understand that Butlers response was:

    “No, no, no – SPARC is not interfering. How could they be interfering, the SNZ Board invited SPARC in to undertake a review and so they were simply doing what we asked them to do.”

    Lets just review the facts – Butler is no longer a member of the board, even though he had claimed in the NZ Herald the day previous that he was the newly appointed President. The Board votes 4 votes to 3 against reappointing Butler and Wrightson. The three (Wrightson who voted for herself, Mark Burge and Ron Clarke) together with MacDonald and Cull storm out in a petulant tantrum which a three year old would have been proud of. Cull and MacDonald then return to threaten the four – If you do not change your vote we will tell SPARC that the board is dysfunctional and they will withdraw their support for the review and cut the money off. They tell the four that the Board no longer has a quorum and that they can no longer do or act in an any capacity as a board. After a protracted period of bullying three of the four capitulate and agree to change their vote.

    Is this what was agreed to when a review of the sport was requested? I don’t think so.

    Miskimmin seems to be saying, “Its not me who is the problem, its just the hired help” – I’ve got news for you Miskimmin, we are not as stupid as we may look. The Board of SNZ may be weak and gutless, but we have David Wright using his pen to keep you honest, and you have been found wanting. David gave you a chance to get it right. You have spurned that and now you deserve all that will follow. The people of New Zealand do not pay big money to have the CEO of a government department behave in this way. I hope you are ready for the bumpy ride which you now deserve.

    Go for it David.

  • Chris

    Hi David

    What a mealy-mouthed reply that was. The classic “I didn’t even know about it at the time so how can I be responsible”. Mr Miskimmin, you are SPARC, your bullies are SPARC and act on your behalf. The buck stops with you.

    Mind you David, you have achieved much more than anyone else manages to do with Miskimmin. He is notorious for never replying to emails or letters, never wants his fingerprints on anything that might implicate him, will never go on record about anything, and is reknown for telling people not to email him with sensitive material that can be requisitioned under official information legislation.

    What is also hilarious is that he reads Swimwatch. Excellent!

  • Tom

    I can’t say I expected much less. It’s wonderfully circular logic he gives you – no, Sparc didn’t influence SNZ’s vote, and if you don’t believe me you can ask the members of the board who Sparc ensured were voted in.

  • Northern Swimmer

    I think your endeavour to get Sparc to take account of those actions will amount to an uphill battle. On a very steep gradient. However, do celebrates life’s little victories – you now know that Miskimmin is a (reluctant) Swimwatch reader.

    Something for all to ponder this holiday season: Is swimming in New Zealand in a better position now than it was when the year started?

    Season’s Best, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to All

    Northern