Mr Hubbard is faced with a "Self Licking Ice Cream"!

I personally thought it was quite refreshing to see Alan Hubbard tell the TV news crew to "Bugger off and leave me alone" last Friday. It echoed what of those who know and support Mr Hubbard have been thinking. Today we read of the issues facing South Canterbury Finance and there is no real surprise here. The  Government now seems likely to have to step in and offer some sort of rescue package (link here) or pay out under their "Guarantee scheme".

You really do have to question just how much of this issue has been caused by the SFO placing Mr Hubbard and his other companies into statutory management? It was always going to be a hard slog for South Canterbury Finance to attract cash investors in the current economic climate but once the SFO was involved with Mr Hubbard's business concerns elsewhere, it virtually guaranteed a tenuous future for South Canterbury Finance. The fact that this company is not related to the SFO investigation was largely irrelevant. In the South Island and wider New Zealand, South Canterbury Finance and Mr Hubbard go pretty much hand in hand. It is his involvement in the company and stewardship that has built it to the giant that it is. Despite the media going to some pains to point out that the two matters are not related, this has largely been lost in the translation.

Right now we have Mr Hubbard honoring the SFO plea to keep details out of the media whilst their drip fed information and (without doubt) PR spin is justifying the need for the investigation in the first place. In the middle of all this we have the investors who are now wondering who and what to believe and many are financially hurting. We also have Mr Hubbard who without a doubt will be feeling a lot of pressure to look after those who put their trust in him. His hands are tied in a situation he can not win or influence.

The way this whole process has been handled has been pretty average. Ironically the SFO has stepped in to prevent a "possible" situation that could have investors losing a lot of money and this very action has contributed and continues to contribute to making that situation a very real possibility across a wider front. It is in effect a "self licking ice cream"!

Without doubt there are interesting times ahead and I know many would like to see Mr Hubbard come out and clear the air on a few things. This needs to be a two sided conversation and at the moment we are getting only part of the picture.

Hang in there Mr Hubbard, stay strong and keep fighting the good fight.

Enjoy this blog? Check out some of my others;

Come out swinging Mr Hubbard you will clear your name!

Alan Hubbard: Legends don't deserve this bollocks!

Parent Teacher Interviews. Things just arn't as simple as they used to be!

Pedros Spanish Restaurant: My Favourite Spot!

Pedros restaurant in Christchurch is my favorite place to eat and has been for many years. It has a enduring menu and consistently good food, wine and service.

The thing I admire about the place is the fact that it is a family run business. Pedro knows his regular diners personally and takes the time to walk around and make conversation with each table.

The leg of lamb is by far their most popular dish (so much so that you have to order when you make a reservation) and just how they make it is a well kept secret. I have asked Pedro for the secret and tried many times to replicate it at home. So whislt my roast lamb is pretty sharp (if can say so myself) I do know that Pedro slow roasts his shoulders a number of times and that i have some way to go in matching it!

Book well in advance and enjoy Pedro's hospitality.

Lets Look Beyond the Media Hype.....NZ Needs to Support Strong Leaders.

It is common for those I know to lament the poor quality of people entering politics in our country. In reality there have always been the underachievers who decide to take up the challenge and get themselves a cushy wee number. I can name a raft of public figures who just underwhelm with their ability to lead, speak, influence and who have no real world experience. Why would a good person step up to the mark and put it all on the line when everything they have ever done is open to scrutiny?

Media scrutiny is such that our public figures literally do have to put it all on the line. Whether it is their opinion, the groups they have or do belong to, their education, their family, their business dealings or their personal lives ranging from shopping habits through to sexual preferences! The media scrutiny is relentless and becoming more "magazine entertainment" in its approach each month. Lately we have seen the media tear Gail Sheriff apart (link here) for her rate payer funded trip to the USA for a sand castle competition (so the story says) The current recession gives media license for every cent of public money to be scrutinised and opens the door for wider agendas to play out.

This weekend we have seen Michael Laws front up about a recent relationship he has had. He did this to take the sting out of what he thought was going to be the release of personal texts or conversations (link here). Good on him for fronting and as a bit of a mud slinger he will be aware of what is probably a whole army of knockers lining up on the flanks to have a crack at him for reasons ranging from political agenda through to his direct approach to communicating. Michael Laws has done a lot of good. He is an elected mayor and whilst I don't agree with a lot of what he says, I admire his tenacity. I don't care who his girlfriend is. Today he was writing about the suicide problem in this country, a discussion I feel needs to happen because we all know someone who has taken their life and seen the devastation left behind. he is brave raising it.

This country definitely needs a higher calibre of politician across national and local politics end of story! We need the thought leaders and the high flyers who want to make a difference to step up, to challenge and we need to make it safe for them to do so.  I think we all accept that regardless of political persuasion we are a richer country for having the Green party keep us honest on environmental issues and the Maori party who I feel have punched above their weight. But how do we get the best people into the leadership seats? The ones with wide experience, good personal and business leadership skills? The ones that have made a few mistakes and learnt valuable life lessons from them?

A friend of mine, Tenby Powell has stepped up to the plate to run for Auckland City Councillor. Tenby by self admission is no saint, in fact he is a real character. He has had huge successes in business, given back to the country in his service as a part time Army Officer (including operational service in the middle east) and various charitable organisations. He recently studied at Harvard and has achieved so much in his life. Like most good blokes he has been a student, he has without doubt done some minor things involving alcohol, police and misbehaving (being a martial arts expert helps here too lol) but he is the sort of guy Marc Ellis would like to have a beer with. Tenby would no doubt fill several of the character descriptions coined in Ellis's new book "Good Fullas". I admire Tenby for stepping up to the mark and I have no doubt we will hear a lot from and about him in our media as part of his campaign and those in the future. I asked him last week how he was going to manage the inevitable media scrutiny and in true Tenby fashion he replied "head on". I know he will do it well. I work with Karl Varley who is seeking election onto the community board here in Christchurch and again I admire his desire to "make a difference" and put himself into the public arena.

I think we all know Gail Sheriff has contributed a lot to the Christchurch City Council over 15 years (I don't know her from a bar of soap but she must have contributed some good stuff) but after this last week she will be remembered for the "sand castle" trip. This is sad. We all cringed about the current Christchurch Mayoress being held to account for eating free muffins. Who cares and good on her for hitting back. This is nonsense, eat as many as you want and thanks for all the work you have done in Canterbury (unpaid) supporting our mayor. Lets not "pole vault over mouse shit" here team, lets look to the bigger picture and answer the question posed, "How do we get good leaders to step into the political arena in our country?"

Chris Carter for me was the straw that broke the camels back. I don't care he is gay, or that he put a few items on his credit card he needed to pay back (he needed a good kick in the butt for doing it but not a sacking offence). No, it was the fact he didn't front and then just collapsed under the pressure of the media that left me wondering just how the hell could he ever be a good cabinet minister with all the attached pressure of leadership and responsibility. This is the reason he had to go, just not up to it....weak!

To try and answer the question I have posed (accepting it is not a simple quick fix) we need to stand behind those good people who do step up. We must look beyond the mistakes they have made in their personal lives or businesses and look to the skills they bring to the table. We need good leaders with wider life experience. Lets stop accepting and paying good money for mediocrity. Lets look beyond media headlines and understand what those brave enough to step up do actually offer.

Fortune favours the brave!

Sonny Bill: New Weapon Test Run For Canterbury Rugby!

I took the opportunity to go and watch Sonny Bill Williams in his first hit out in Canterbury rugby. Playing for Belfast at Sheldon Park against Lincoln, Sonny drew a huge crowd. Pity the club could not capitalise with a gate take but regardless he is a huge draw card for the club. Several thousand spectators showing for an initial evaluation of the big man and stood at least 10 deep right around the park.

He is big too, easily the tallest Belfast had on the paddock today at six foot four tall. There were a few big league type elbows from the man and some hard tackles before shortly after half time he kicked a ball through, scooped it up and ran half the length of the field for a good try.....magic!

Its fair to say Belfast have had a real boost by bringing him into the team and it is great to see club rugby with a good crowd! The question remains as to whether Sonny will make the All Blacks? Watching today it is fair to say he was struggling with his position on the field but he is a hell play maker and no doubt will make a big impact for Canterbury in the NPC. In reality he could play well from any position on the team outside of the front row.

I thought Lincoln played a good game too for an away game.

Only in the South can you watch a game such as this without a lot of fuss and free of charge.

Loved it.

R.I.P. Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell: Soldiers do a Dangerous Job!

Like most New Zealanders I was disturbed to hear of our casualties in this far off battle called Afghanistan. It gave me that sick feeling because I have a number of close friends serving in the various hot spots around the world and you never know who it is until that name is released. I met Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell (pictured courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz) briefly at an Army dinner in October of last year (read the blog here) when the officers of 2nd/1st Battalion gathered at "The Cave" in Redcliffs. I did not know him well but those who did tell me he was a hell of a young man! A good bugger! Good at his job, good with people, the type of bloke you want to have a beer with!

When there is a combat death there is an almost "reality" show approach by many in the media. I know this because I was intimately involved with managing the media following the death of Private Leonard Manning in East Timor a decade ago. There is the media explosion as they try to give us the "what happened", this quickly turns into the "lets get the reaction of the family and invade their privacy" angle (justified as all part of the wider public interest) and immediately after the political angle "should we even be there?" plays out with the range of political agendas from the Prime Minister who has the weight of responsibility through to the Keith Lock with his inevitable "we should never do anything nasty to anyone as a country, just have a military humanitarian organisation" which frankly most New Zealanders with "real life" experience and most professional soldiers just find offensive! It has always been the case that soldiers are not trained to be humanitarians or peacekeepers, yet they are often the only ones who can actually do it! Ironic really. In amongst it all sometimes the real issues are lost in the ongoing ratings battle.

Here are some of the points I'd like to make;

• Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell was a professional Infantry Officer. A combat team leader and we saw on TV last night from the comments of his father that he loved the Army. He was a natural leader, loved his job, wanted to do it from an early age and excelled at it. He was decorated in Timor and I'll bet when the details come out he was probably excelling his job right up until the second he was killed. Likely that involved reacting to a sudden incident, getting his team out and trying to kill some nasty individuals who desperately need it. He was a volunteer, a professional soldier who, as part of his profession was regularly leading a team in harms way. Such is the profession of arms. I feel sad he was killed but the reality is it could have been anyone on this team who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
• This will be a huge shock to his family. It will take days to sink in and my experience with is that until they get Tim home the grieving will not really start. Because of the media interest they will be in the spotlight throughout and it will all be surreal. That in itself is hard and unfair. Who didn't cringe when the reporter asked one of the wounded soldiers parents how it felt? Who didn't want to thump him for that question? I am sad it has happened, I hate watching it play out in the media like a reality show but it is what it is. His parents need support to manage the medias intrusive thirst for information and raw emotion and the Army and Defence Force will do their very best to get Tim home, the wounded soldiers rehabilitated and to support their families. They do this well, it will never be perfect, but they look after their own and are second to none in the way they do it.
• The team in Afghanistan will be affected hugely by this event. Whilst being under fire is reasonably common for them (as it has been for many contingents serving there in the past) to lose a team member, and one of the leaders will be a big shock. It will leave a gap but as professionals they will carry on. The tough thing is they can't be a part of the official farewell to Tim and fortunately they will be spared much of the ongoing media spotlight. Funnily enough most professional soldiers prefer incoming fire to dealing with the media, prefer just to get on with their job as best they can. In Afghanistan the Officers and Non Commissioned Officers will lead from the front and keep the contingent focused because the period right after such an incident is one of risk. They will need to maintain their confidence and ensure maintain control in their area. When they come home many will make their way to Tim's resting place and to his family to pay their respects and to reflect and grieve.
• Those close to Tim in the Army will take time to come to terms with it. When you serve you understand and prepare for events such as this but the suddenness of it never fails to shock. The Army will review what exactly happened so they learn from it and outside of any formal inquiry all involved will question their roles, their part in it. Combat teams are close, know each other well and there is bond that those who have never experienced it can never understand.
• Just because this has happened does not mean we should question our role there. The decision was made for legitimate reasons and our military team has been in harms way for many years now. To pull out for no other reason other than an incident such as this makes no sense and will rightly offend those professionals who have served there. The bad guys will continue to do terrible things and undermine the humanitarian work that has been achieved over a number of years. The trust built up with the locals will be undermined, in fact destroyed and it would be plain wrong. Any transition must be planned and executed over time.

I have asked several people close to Tim their thoughts on what has happened. General shock and genuine concern for his family who now bear the media onslaught were foremost in their minds but also the fact that it could have happened to anyone on any of the current missions our military is involved in or to them. Sometimes despite the best people being there with the very best equipment and training cannot stop an incident such as this.

I am very sad Tim was killed and that two of his men were badly hurt. It will be tough to watch his family deal with it over the coming week but they will! Mothers in particular have special strength and determination to cope and get their family through. Thanks for serving Tim, for making a difference and for doing your bit in a tough job in a tough environment. Thanks too to the Army who will ensure they get home and are looked after in the best possible way.

R.I.P. Lieutenant Tim O'Donnell, Royal new Zealand Infantry Regiment.

Other Posts I have written;

Bush Bashing and finding the Canterbury Lads: Galipolli 2000
Johnny McNutt: a good Southern Bloke
Who the Hell is Private David Nelson Wright, RNZIR
Santa....One Wrong Move and You are Toast Son!

Blokes need shopping Malls like a Hole in the Head!

Not sure about you but shopping malls are pretty scary places for any Southern bloke at the best of times, let alone when you are nursing a wee bit of brewers asthma after a night out at a party and watching a late Rugby test match. I tend to avoid Malls like the plaque and here is why;

• Too many people.
• Too muggy, not enough fresh air.
• Too many shops.
• Too many shops with the same stuff.
• Crap food.
• Too many people. (just reiterating).
• Trap for fathers with kids....the "I want factor" can be heard in stereo from kids all over the show lambasting their parents with "I want".
• Too stressful.
• Far too much advertising.
• Can make you angry.
• Too many teenagers with attitude and no life!

The only up side is a bit of people watching and don't our Cantabrians come in all sizes, shapes and looks nowadays? Seemingly gone or very few and far between are the mole skin brigade and the blue homespun with pearls over the top tribe. Where are they? Do they only come out during race week now?

If there is one thing I can guarantee the unsuspecting southern man.....shopping malls cause you stress from parking, right through to when finally leave. AVOID at all costs and never go during school holidays or just before Christmas. Madness.