Fate of kayaking hangs on AGM vote

Olympic gold medallist Alan Thompson. File photo / Paul Estcourt

Canoe Racing NZ have suffered a high-profile defection on the eve of an AGM that Olympic gold medallist Alan Thompson says will determine the life or death of the sport.

High performance manager Wayne Maher, who was brought over from rowing in the hope he could transfer that sport's success to the paddlers, quit this week. It is a continuation of a turbulent time for kayaking, which has been beset by a number of recent controversies.

A cabal, led by Thompson and including Olympic legends Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald, is trying to change CRNZ's constitution. If successful, it would essentially overthrow the board.

"If we win, kayaking wins," said Thompson. "If we lose, the sport here dies. That's the reality."

A vote will be tabled tonight in Rotorua, which coincides with the Oceania champs on Blue Lake.

Thompson and co want the makeup of the board to change from four elected and three unelected appointees to a fully elected seven-person board with power to co-opt two appointees. They disapprove of the direction the sport has taken under the current administration, labeling it undemocratic and focused on high performance at the expense of development.

Maher's departure will not mollify Thompson, who believes he will be replaced by "another unsuitable Sparc appointment".

Sparc's $900,000 handout is contingent on CRNZ delivering certain objectives, a point reinforced this week by Sparc boss Peter Miskimmin in a letter addressed to CEO Paula Kearns and chairman Peter Fitzsimmons.

"In light of a poor track record of financial management and a fractious environment, Sparc made ongoing funding conditional upon stable governance and an effective, professionally led structure to deliver high performance outcomes," Miskimmin wrote.

Sparc was yesterday unaware of Maher's resignation. Sparc provides CRNZ with 90 per cent of its operating revenue for high performance, though Thompson said more than half of that went on administrative costs including staff salaries.

Fitzsimmons and Kearns will argue that Thompson's proposals run contrary to Sparc's wishes and good governance practise. Thompson believes those "scare tactics" are having an effect. He needs a simple majority among the 11 clubs and says at this stage it is too close to call.