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The Fingerprints of SPARC

By David

West Auckland Aquatics’ fastest swimmers are working their way through 70 to 100 kilometres a week. The kilometres are ticking by at a healthy four kilometres an hour. With a self motivated group like this there is time for the coach to ponder the condition of swimming in New Zealand. So much of what goes on these days is done behind closed doors; in secret. Inevitably that leads to a succession of conspiracy theories – each one more bizarre than the next. But are they bizarre? Perhaps not. Here is what I think has happened since the Regions agreed to a wholesale review of swimming a few weeks ago.

The first sign of SPARC’s unacceptable appetite for power came when the CEO of SPARC, Peter Miskimmin, ordered a properly taken vote of the Swimming New Zealand Board to be overturned. By a vote of 4 to 3 the Board of Swimming New Zealand voted to reject the appointment of Wrightson and Butler to the Board. Democracy, meeting procedure, the rule of law – none of that concerned Miskimmin. He ordered the vote to be overturned and that’s what happened. It stinks, it’s wrong, it’s inexcusable. I have no doubt that Miskimmin will claim that the interests of stability justified his intervention. Every tin-pot dictator in history has made the same claim. Caligula said it was “disloyalty to the state” that justified his bad behaviour. Lincoln brushed aside the Bill of Rights to “Save the Union”. Germany used “lebensraum or living space” as justification for war. Papa Doc claimed that “saving his poor Negro Republic” justified unspeakable atrocities. They were wrong and so is Miskimmin.

Then I made an Official Information Act request for a copy of the Agreement reached between the Regions and SPARC at their Wellington meeting. Miskimmin wrote to me claiming that the Agreement was commercially sensitive and would sour relationships between SPARC, Swimming New Zealand and the Regions if a copy was given to a West Auckland swimming coach. That was clearly rubbish and so I filed a complaint with the Ombudsman. With an ounce of luck the Ombudsman will see through Miskimmin’s deception and will order him to provide a copy of the Agreement. The whole process reflects badly on Miskimmin and his organization. The management of sport should not be about secret deals hidden from those who commit their lives to achieving athletic success. I can only hope the Ombudsman appreciates the importance of my request. There is no reason for this Agreement to be hidden from the membership of the sport. It is only kept secret because that’s the way Miskimmin does business – in dark alleys, behind closed doors.

And then I wrote to FINA with a formal complaint. Peter Miskimmins organization is in clear breech of FINA Rule 13 which prohibits government organizations interfering in the management of national swimming bodies. Not a day goes by that SPARC does not breech that rule. Their involvement in Swimming New Zealand goes way beyond interference. Peter Miskimmin and SPARC run the show. They decide who will be on the Board, what structural changes will be made and who will be appointed to senior staff positions. One of the most delightful moments in my life occurred recently when I read a letter from Chris Moller, the Chairman of the Swimming Review Working Group. In it Moller said, “This group will formulate recommendations separately and independently of SPARC.” How outrageously funny is that? Nothing, not a damn thing in swimming these days is done “separately and independently of SPARC.” Miskimmin’s fingerprints are all over everything that goes on down there. New Zealand’s swimming results in London, the conclusions of the Working Group, Ross Butlers and Mike Byrne’s next cup of coffee belong lock, stock and barrel to Peter Miskimmin. He appointed himself to the Steering Committee that runs the Working Group remember. He made the phone call to appoint Chris Moller. How separate is that? There is no “separately and independently” in the Peter Miskimmin world. Oh and I have not heard back from FINA in response to my complaint. I do hope they take it seriously. Their sport is in deep trouble down here in New Zealand.

Most recently, we have the decision to set up a High Performance Centre in Wellington. This decision fascinates me. Clearly the intention was to make such a significant change and enter into such important financial commitments that, along with the Millennium Institute in Auckland, would compel the Review Working Group to leave intact Swimming New Zealand’s control of elite swimming. The level of involvement is already so great that the Working Group have no option but to leave things as they are. Miskimmin has outsmarted the Regions just as I said he would. But how do we know this sleight of hand was down to Miskimmin. Well, I’ve met Butler – as smooth as silk, full of charm and “hail fellow well met”, but without much in the way of substance. I just don’t think Butler has the balls to set up a Wellington High Performance Centre knowing that the Working Group is about to begin its Review. A decision like that takes better than the likes of Butler. No, my guess is that Miskimmin has told McDonald and Cull to order the Swimming New Zealand Board to approve the Wellington initiative. The “dead of night” secrecy and the lack of any formal announcement are classic Miskimmin. He has a clear goal of what he wants the Review Working Group to decide and he’s putting structures in place that ensure he gets it.

The real problem with SPARC’s invasive interference in the affairs of Swimming New Zealand is that Miskimmin, McDonald and Cull know nothing about the product. They have no idea what it takes to win a swimming race and in every decision they make it shows. Twice I have been in meetings where Miskimmin has told me he will never intervene in the internal management structure of a national sport. I hope the content of this report prove that twice Miskimmin has lied to me. His finger prints are all over the affairs of swimming in New Zealand. He is as guilty as all hell. For the health of swimming, I hope FINA and the Ombudsman help Swimwatch nail the scoundrel.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 6th, 2011 at 11:14 pm and is filed under New Zealand . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

  • Stevie

    If the facts as reported on Swimwatch are accurate relating to the SNZ board’s vote of 4 to 3 against the proposed re-appointment of Ross Butler and Jane Wrightson, and SPARC’s intimidation of the board to achieve a reversal of that resolution, then has SPARC acted unlawfully?

    Peter Miskimmin is in a powerful role – passes out $100m plus per annum ($30m plus to High Performance Sport). But he can only act in keeping with the functions available to SPARC under the Sport and Recreation New Zealand Act 2002 or any functions given SPARC by the Minister responsible for sport.

    So what is SPARC permitted to do? Answer:
    (a) develop and implement national policies and strategies for physical recreation and sport:
    (b) allocate funds to organisations and regional bodies in line with its policies and strategies:
    (c) promote and advocate the importance of participation in physical activity by all New Zealanders for their health and well-being:
    (d) promote and disseminate research relevant to physical recreation and sport:
    (e) provide advice to the Minister on issues relating to physical recreation and sport:
    (f) promote and support the development and implementation of physical recreation and sport in a way that is culturally appropriate to Māori:
    (g) encourage participation in physical recreation and sport by Pacific peoples, women, older New Zealanders, and people with disabilities:
    (h) recognise the role of physical recreation and sport in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities:
    (i) facilitate the resolution of disputes between persons or organisations involved in physical recreation and sport:
    (j) work with schools, regional, central, and local government, and physical recreation and sports organisations to ensure the maintenance and development of the physical and organisational infrastructure for physical recreation and sport:
    (k) work with health, education, and other agencies to promote greater participation in physical recreation and sport through policy development, advocacy, and support, in line with the objectives of the New Zealand health strategy:
    (l) provide advice and support for organisations working in physical recreation and sport at national, regional, and local levels:
    (m) facilitate co-ordination between national, regional, and local physical recreation and sport organisations:
    (n) represent the Government’s policy interests in physical recreation and sport internationally.

    Function (i) above is the only one with any possible connection with Miskimmin’s role in using Nelson Cull / Kerry McDonald to obtain a reversal of the SNZ’s board’s intentions. But SPARC’s power under (i) above relates to dispute resolution only. You know..creating an environment for discussion and conciliation – acting in a mediation role for example. SPARC isn’t permitted to meddle inside a sports organisation or intimidate or take control of that organisation’s governing body.

    So, illegal activity by SPARC via its CEO if the facts are the way they have been reported. Would there be any right of legal redress? Not unless Peter Miskimmin acted without good faith (I.E. knew that he only had the power to mediate but ignored that fact and went ahead and dictated his outcome to those SNZ board members, using threats derived from his hold over the purse strings).