Here's the scenario, what would you have done 12 months ago if you were in charge of RITA

[Hesi]

RITA appear to have become just another name for NZRB, different names on the board but same folk at the executive level

Only shown signs of life when the situation became dire, brought on by the Covid 19 situation

What would you have done 12 months ago if you were Dean McKenzie

[curious]

15 minutes ago, Hesi said:

RITA appear to have become just another name for NZRB, different names on the board but same folk at the executive level

Only shown signs of life when the situation became dire, brought on by the Covid 19 situation

What would you have done 12 months ago if you were Dean McKenzie

I would have declined to take on the job given the Minister's operating requirements.

Edited May 25, 2020 by curious

[mardigras]

It would have needed an open framework. I've pretty much described what I would have done under that option, or at least investigate the feasibility of doing.

 

 

 

[Hesi]

5 minutes ago, mardigras said:

It would have needed an open framework. I've pretty much described what I would have done under that option, or at least investigate the feasibility of doing.

 

 

 

Fair enough, but how would you have gone about implementing or bringing about the many changes that needed to to be done.

For example, Dean McKenzie had done some minor cost cutting, stuff like saving a mil from the RIU.  Then the Covid situation brought it all to a head and we saw knee jerk reactions, with crazy stuff like Radio Trackside being ditched.  When he first got appointed, he should have initiated an independent costs analysis of all aspects of the business.  No point asking any of his current executives to do it, as it appears they were far too entrenched, to come up with anything more than deck chair re-arranging.

Apparently there is a group within RITA that is looking at outsourcing, no updates, reports etc etc, no deadlines, apparently not a priority.  The only report done, was one commissioned by NZTR, that has been ignored and dismissed.

Avondale was never going to give in without a fight, which they would have won or circumvented, so why go down the track of introducing legislation that was doomed.  Surely there were other ways

[Freda]

I would have contacted Curious and Mardi and said ' help'.

[Freda]

Tongue-in-cheek,  obviously.    But,  is a year enough time to correct all the silly decisions made over the last ten + years?

And as for the on-going evisceration of the unfortunate John Allen ;   clearly, he was neither knowledgeable nor inspirational.   But, years ago, fellas like him were called secretaries and they did what their committees/boards wanted.   How many of the board were incumbent when Bayliss was allowed to run rampant with stupid choices?

 

Edited May 25, 2020 by Freda
sp

[mardigras]

7 minutes ago, Freda said:

Tongue-in-cheek,  obviously.    But,  is a year enough time to correct all the silly decisions made over the last ten + years?

A year isn't enough time - but there was so little communication about what plans they had, there didn't appear to be any urgency to things. 

They looked extremely complacent - and no accountability often leads to that. Even right now, there is no visible accountability at the senior level - just a bunch of scapegoats.

[curious]

3 hours ago, mardigras said:

 - just a bunch of scapegoats.

Mainly the government and Covid-19

[Hesi]

3 hours ago, Freda said:

Tongue-in-cheek,  obviously.    But,  is a year enough time to correct all the silly decisions made over the last ten + years?

And as for the on-going evisceration of the unfortunate John Allen ;   clearly, he was neither knowledgeable nor inspirational.   But, years ago, fellas like him were called secretaries and they did what their committees/boards wanted.   How many of the board were incumbent when Bayliss was allowed to run rampant with stupid choices?

 

Someone like a Peter V'landys or John Messara would probably think a year was heaps of time

There does seem to be this malaise in NZ racing that makes things move ever so slowly.  Messara did his report in 3 months, whether you agree with it or not, and pointed out that recommendation 7(outsourcing) was the most important one, and if not done, pretty much invalidates the rest.  Yet RITA and Peters chose to allocate priority to the 'land grab stuff', which immediately proved divisive(what a surprise).

Someone with a keen sense of strategy, would have got 7 underway, then got together with all the clubs, particularly those in Auckland and the Waikato, and tried to put together a workable plan.  It's not like any of the big, better known clubs are getting it right, none of them make enough money off wagering to pay for the stakes on offer

[Maximus]

I would have fired the Board and placed the operation in the hands of a Commissioner with a mandate to fast-track revenue streams /miimise costs ex Messara Report (incl outsourcing of TAB, racefields legislation/POC tax) and negotiated free-to-air TV.

Edited May 26, 2020 by Maximus

[mardigras]

2 hours ago, Hesi said:

Someone like a Peter V'landys or John Messara would probably think a year was heaps of time

I doubt it - V'Landys would still be trying to work out how to tax the participants more, to prop up the racing in his state, whilst trying to stuff racing everywhere else. That's his forte.

A year is plenty of time to initiate change. But I doubt a year would be enough to see the impacts of any change, or to have completed the required changes.

To get tax parity in NSW took V'Landys many years.

Edited May 26, 2020 by mardigras

[Turny]

Would have removed the Board and all Senior Management and appointed a Statutory Management Board and Executive. 

Cancelled the new website - renegotiated

Imposed a cumpolsory wage cut of 15% on all annual salaries over $100k pending a critical review of the entire operation from top to bottom, with a view to reduce all costs a minimum of 25% within 6 months 

The Slashing would have started on Day One