Bring your own fire extinguisher because the Federation is turning the heat up this year!  After two years the Federation is well and truly grounded, and is here to stay so others had better get used to it.

•   Do we care that people don’t like us - NO
•   Do we care if they don’t like our tactics - NO
•   Does their petty criticism bother us – NO
•   Will we back off - NO


Linkback: https://www.plumbers.nz/fellow-practitioners-update/41/fellow-practitioner-issue-138-1-february-2013/1357/

Well Watchdog - one suggestion is to replace them with others - so more people need to put themselves forward to stand.  Not entirely convinced on this one though as I think some of it is just posturing - I mean they call for nominations but in the end I am sure the Minister appoints who he wants.  There seems to be some misguided notion around the halls of parliament that there are not enough of the "right" people to put forward for these positions.  Of course they don't understand how intelligent and practical our trades are.  They want what they call "strategic thinkers" - we call them pragmatists (you know the guys who know what's wrong and take a direct route to fix it without the bullshit) - of course pragmatists often don't need a huge support crew of administrators, they often don't want to empire build - oh and quite often they wear shorts and polo shirts not suits and ties.  That'll be what the problem is then, the Minister needs to see further than the suit and tie and look at the practical intelligence of the people who apply and not be swayed so easily.  The Minister and his advisers are also probably worried that we won't know the difference between governance and management - well I think we know plenty about that and again he is mistaken to think that there are two few "suitable" people.  Take a risk Minister and appoint some new faces from the trade, some people who aren't already on the other Boards and give this whole thing a fresh coat of paint.