Accountability

[Wingman]

There has been a lot of push back from a few on this site, not the majority, when I get stuck into the performance and lack of transparency of NZTR executive. Contrary to what the few believe, I am not anti NZTR, rather anti their executives woeful track record, year after year. With that said, what I am going to quote is approximately the last  third of a weekly update/newsletter sent to NZ Thoroughbred Breeders Association members from the current CEO  Nick Johnson. I have not seen a stronger comment re executive performance in all of my 3 decades of being a member of NZTBA. That is all I have to say, the quote follows, but I do look forward to what you have to say.

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Leadership in this industry is not about avoiding discomfort or keeping everyone happy. It is about showing you're working, making the call, and accepting accountability for it. When people  can see the reasoning , even unpopular decisions earn respect.

There has been a serious lack of accountability in the New Zealand racing industry over many years and it has often contributed to poor outcomes. There is no doubt about that.

I know it is needed because every time I have pushed for it, the people I represent have backed me. Unfortunately, that expectation of accountability has not always been shared with some areas of the administration.

So when, for example, in the Central Districts, sector groups ask for an explanation about the failure of the Awapuni track that cost $5million in industry funds to build, or why a parcel of land that includes the stabling boxes has been put on the market at Trentham, or what level of investment and liability is going into the proposed new racecourse in Hawkes Bay and what data has informed that decision, these are not witch hunts.

They are legitimate questions asked for the greater good of the sport, aimed at improving decision making and strengthening the industry's future. Communication is key and it begins with respecting the nature of this industry. Yes some matters are commercially sensitive. But many are not and that phrase is too often used as a convenient shield.

When communication is absent people will fill the void with their own conclusions and those conclusions are rarely positive. If we want this industry to grow, if we want confidence to build and if we want investment to rise, then accountability cannot be treated as optional.

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