Fresh from his shocking fortnight killing Maori broadcasting rights McCully’s knifing of the IRB on the volunteer programme has now seen the light of day in the Herald.
When I was Minister i/c RWC the volunteer programme was to be a big part of the legacy. We were to trial the programme at the Rowing World Champs next year and hoped to have tens of thousands of people with short training invloved with teams and venues. There would then be a great database from which to invite these people to continue to volunteer – because all the evidence around volunteering is that there is a large group of people who will volunteer if asked but don’t offer themselves.
McCully fell out with the IRB over branding. The IRB were not keen on paying for black t-shirts with silver ferns for their volunteers. They have sponsors who have a right to be recognised and they thought that other teams might object if the supposedly neutral organising group looked like the All Black support group.
So McCully went his own way. Told the IRB to get lost. Launched a pathetically weak and ill prepared programme at a beehive reception 2 years from kick off. The graphics, video and website looked like they had been pulled together that morning in his office and there are lots of school kids with IT skills that could have done better.
But people volunteering for for New Zealand 2011 are left with the impression that they are offering to be volunteers for the RWC. If the website was a newspaper then I’m sure they would be in trouble for false advertising.
They won’t be part of the team. They will get one of McCully’s black t-shirts with the non rugby fern. They won’t get a world cup track suit, shirt, cap. They won’t get near a player. They won’t get to go to the venues. They won’t host the teams, the accredited media or the VIP guests.
We are meant to be a team of 4million supporting the Cup. It should be a big thing. Until now I’ve been pretty quiet because I hoped that things would come right.
But in this area and in the commercial leveraging area which McCully says is Brownlee’s responsibility the government approach is just a shambles and is placing our opportunity to benefit from the cup – both economically and socially – at risk. John Key needs to sort this too.
I agree.
Hands up everyone who wants to be a walking billboard for foreign multinationals?
I would, I’m poor, I’d advertise almost anything.
BLiP Most people I know who are interested in sport would prefer a one off RWC set of gear than the badly designed, poorly made t-shirts that we have seen to date. There will be the sense of being part of a special team for the biggest sporting event NZ will ever host and the gear will be valued, collected and maybe even handed down to future generations.
Spud , I though you were allready taken in the promotion game. Mc Cain?
LOL
Full of golden goodness!
Trevor, great points in here but I have to disagree with you that Key should be sorting this out. All I ever see if Key jumping in and ’sorting’ things (usually by making vague, wishy-washy statements that masquerade as common sense but are in fact fence-sitting).
There is hardly an issue that comes up that Key doesn’t voice his opinion on.
I would far rather see him get his Ministers to do a decent job in the first place and to sort out their own messes.
Already for this problem we have another set of hokey excuses from Key. Instead of this tripe want a capable set of leaders who can (a) solve their own problems and (b) act in a way where these cock-ups aren’t a daily occurrence.
Tigger – I can’t find comment on this bit of the problem from Key – can you refer me please
I don’t know much about this McCully guy and googling doesn’t bring up too much to shed heaps of light on his past mis/management of issues. There have been some references to him as the dark prince but it seems like he has the opposite of a Midas touch. Perhaps his “vigorous questioning” may be too destructive? With the assistance of the PM, could he be better practised with some double talk to talk up and please people to avoid more faux pas? This RWC is projected for $39m loss (two-thirds taxpayer bail-out) and I’d hate to see it running at a greater loss.
I think it is a combination of being too hands on and not enough time to focus. Half the time I feel like offering to do the job for them (for free) because while I’m confident the organisation around the matches will be fine the whole leverage activity is just not happening – and while I love rugby it is the leverage stuff that makes it worth having here.
Tigger, I agree with you that Key shouldn’t be sorting this out he should have capable ministers to do so. unfortunately he has surrounded himself with incompetence and therefore is always stepping in to save the day!
Trevor maybe you should offer your services as an act of faith in NZ. They may still need you because ever since the powers that be in Auckland (great rugby team) decided to keep Eden park as the venue it all became a more dodgy event!!
Murray mccully makes me cringe deleted offensive Clare
Trevor How dare you talk about RWC “Cock ups”
Your useless lot should have built a decent water front stadium but instead bought a useless clapped out trainset and left the country with a massive ACC hole. Good one Trev. Warning. This is a marginal comment Clare
They were going to make Kiwirail a viable and valuable part of our infrastructure.
Kiwirail A viable and valuable part of our infrastructure….ha ha ha ha
Then they wont be needing the $90million a year subsidy will they.
Labour couldnt run a p*ss up in a Brewery
Clare. Apologies for the language…Kelly
@Kelly – I didn’t say that it was that way yet, but I’m sure that they would’ve made it work. P*ss up in a brewery, man I’m looking forward to my drinks later.
P.S. I think Labour did a fine job of running our country!
Sorry Trevor, should have been more specific – I was referring to Key’s comments in this article.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/2991459/Key-backs-Silver-Fern-on-uniforms
sorry clare,i’ll never bag another park bench again.
@ al zhiemer I should hope not