Re-election Speech to Conference Delegates - Alec McIver
I want to represent and lead NZDA into, and for, the future of hunting in New Zealand, not the past. Now is the time to allow the past to become history, and serve as a reminder of the perils of complacency, secrecy and conspiracy.
This Association needs to move forward and continue to adapt to the changing conditions affecting the sport we love. I am the person to help the association do so. I am young, energetic and passionate about my hunting and the Association, but wise enough to know when I need to seek help, or bow to more experienced heads. I have learned, very quickly, about how to approach government agencies, how to communicate effectively with them and their representatives. I have a teenage son who is also passionate about hunting, and I want to make sure that I do everything I can to ensure that he is able to do so. I also want to make sure that he can join his local deerstalkers’ branch, to learn from hunters other than his old man, share his experiences with others and build good friendships – all things that we have enjoyed by being members. I do not believe that a return to the thinking and methods from 20 years ago will benefit the Association. Nor will continued in-fighting and back-stabbing. Those things combined with DOC’s continuing assault and a shifting public perception of hunting and hunters will all conspire to be the undoing of NZDA.
To this end, if re-elected as president, I have several ideas for initiatives that will help us to continue building and strengthening our association.
- A reliable system that ensures that local issues are assisted at national level – for example all National Executive meetings are planned in advance – you can be notified of the dates and then reminded, and we can provide a form to bring your concerns to light.
- Active engagement at branch level. All National Executive members have buddy branches. I would like to see all National Executive members making regular visits to and contact with their branches and show active interest in their well-being.
- Guidelines/booklets to assist you in preparing submissions on CMS’s, National Park Plans etc. The National Advocate will continue to be available to branches for specific queries and concerns.
- Assistance in working with DOC – not against them. We all know that you get more flies with honey than vinegar, and none of likes to be confronted rather than approached. We need to remember to follow the “chain-of-command” that DOC adheres to. We need to start our approach at local DOC office level and progress through the ranks from there. National Executive can assist you with this.
- Continuing to build our working relationships with government departments and politicians. Keeping our local MPs informed of issues that concern us in an intelligent way is our best way to gain support.
- Continue to build our relationships with our allies and work together in a concerted effort to achieve our mutual goals.
- Facilitate better direction to the National Executive and employees from branches – along similar lines to hearing local issues at national level.
- Encourage branches to appoint a media/politics person to their committee – a first point of contact for information from National Executive and for local media. Assistance can be given to this person to prepare releases – again, this ties in with assistance to write submissions.
- Run training seminars for local committees – we have booklets that each branch receives, but we need to have practical sessions for questions and answers.
The way forward will not be easy, but with the right executive, good direction a positive attitude and good leadership we can get there. All we need is your support and belief in our vision.