Sport & Rec accused of 'meddling'

A FORMER chairman of Sport and Recreation Wanganui is highly critical of what she calls "petty politicking" over the local body aspirations of a board employee.
Splash Centre manager Danny Jonas is a candidate for the Wanganui District Council election and is standing under the Vision Wanganui banner.
But his decision has caused unease, with the board meeting in special session this afternoon to discuss it.
The board wasn't due to meet for another month, but chairman Gary Spooner decided to call the special meeting to allow members to comment.
Mr Spooner told the Chronicle the board just wanted "to be sure that, given Danny's position (as an employee), we're comfortable with it".
Board member Rob Vinsen an arch-critic of Vision Wanganui said he was "not particularly impressed" by Mr Jonas' decision and believed the board needed to discuss it.
"I don't think Sport and Recreation Wanganui has anything to gain at all by having a person on the district council.
At best it's negative and at worst it's detrimental," Mr Vinsen said.
Christine Jones, who was on the board of Sport and Recreation Wanganui for 12 years and chaired it for five of those, told the Chronicle she was appalled at the board's "undemocratic meddling".
"I'm aware that Danny Jonas had discussed his decision to stand for the council with his chief executive, Philip Kearney, and that no difficulty was foreseen as a consequence of that decision," Mrs Jones said yesterday.
"However, because of petty politicking, Danny Jonas' employment and his civic aspirations are being directly threatened. As a former chairperson, I want to publicly condemn such meddling."
Mrs Jones acknowledged that she totally supported Vision Wanganui.
"But it wouldn't matter to me if Danny stood as an independent, as a Vision candidate or for the Communist Party. I just think the board's actions are completely out of line.
"The board is there for governance while the CEO runs the staff."
Mrs Jones said Mr Jonas had given excellent service to the board and the organisation over a number of years. He would be an asset to any organisation.
"The previous chief executive of Sport and Recreation Wanganui, Graeme Taylor, served as both the CEO and as a district councillor.
"He did a fine job as both.
"There was and is no conflict," she said.
She said previously the board had always been very supportive of anything that would develop the staff "in any way".
"We've always know too that Wanganui has been a stepping stone for some of them who've gone on to bigger and better things in their careers."