Tonight on Close Up ` he broke a ref's jaw on the footy field, but he got the red card in the courtroom. They claim this is the best place in the world to do business. Are we too easy? And the World Rodeo Circuit moseys into Dunedin. I've got some good competition coming over from Aussie, America and Canada, so, yes, Ks are gonna have to have our spurs ready. Due to the live nature of Close Up, captions for some items may be incomplete. ONE News captions by Finn Scott-Kelly and Hugo Snell. Close Up captions by Angela Alice and Glenna Casalme. It's a thankless job at times being a ref. Len Gattsche knows only too well. He had his jaw broken in three places by a disgruntled player ` a player who was subsequently charged with assault. The wheels of justice grind slowly, and seven months later, Tama Fasavalu, a former Samoan international, has been sentenced to nine months home detention. We'll look at the impact this has on our sport shortly, but first Mark Crysell has been following the case since it began in a flurry of on-pitch violence last Anzac Day. WHISTLE BLOWS Anzac Day. A scene like this. Manukau City vs Tauranga City in South Auckland. Tama had come through, reckless tackled the player. Tempers flared. Got between the two players to separate them. First the yellow card. Realised that it was his second yellow card, which now deems to be a red card and sent him on his way off the field. And then it came. Out of nowhere, Manukau's Tama Fasavalu had smashed the ref in the face. I thought, 'Shit, he's effing hit me.' And then it was like the blood pouring out of my mouth. Len Gattsche's jaw was broken in three places. Spectators say they heard the sound from 40m away. Len Gattsche's jaw was broken in three places. Spectators say they heard the sound from 40m away. These photos were later taken in hospital. It's actually on both sides? Yeah. Yeah. So you've got it here as well? Yeah, yeah, there's another break higher up that comes across that way down there. Did you ever think you'd get an injury like this as a football referee? No. Never. I actually never thought I'd get hit. You can take the abuse. You get that all the time, but not like this. This is how Len's dinner is now prepared. You've got to have a small spoon to get them into the mouth. If it's too big it just goes everywhere. He couldn't work for weeks. I don't know why he needs to lose himself like that and doing something like that. I don't know why he needs to lose himself like that and doing something like that. Because for me it's insane. Almost immediately, the Auckland Football Federation suspended Fasavalu from the sport indefinitely and fined him $1000. Referees can't be approached in that way, touched in that way, hit in that way. We have to send a message that referees will be protected through whatever means we have available within the game. There is often a code in sports ` what happens on the field stays on the field. But this case has crossed over. Police charged Tama Fasavalu with assault, but it's taken an agonising seven months of court appearances to get a result. What's at stake here is the heart of the games we love to play. Hundreds of thousands of Ks play sport every weekend. When you blow that, you're the boss. Yep. Yep. The whistle speaks. To do that, they need to rely on volunteers like Len Gattsche. We have to buy all of our own uniform, which is not cheap ` boots nowadays. We have to pay for our own training courses, But 100% of referees just do it because they love it. All sports need people like Len. They need referees. They need level-headed people who are calm, who have good man-management techniques. But when we first met Len back in May, he was ready to throw it all away. At this stage I'm not looking at continuing. It's changed how I feel. I still love the game, I'll still go and watch the game, but as for getting in the middle, I'm not to keen on it. Through the seven months of court appearances, Fasavalu argued through his lawyer that he'd lost his temper after being racially abused by one of the Tauranga team. He suffered racial taunting during the game to which the referee perhaps was not sensitised towards. Fasavalu eventually pleaded guilty, apologised twice to Len Gattsche and paid him $2000 in reparations. It was just enough to keep him out of jail, but today the court imposed a tough nine months' home detention. We're Polynesians, non-Palagi. We get taunted on the field. Would they be interested if they know that if they react physically, it will end you in jail? Len was happy with the verdict, but believes it could've been over quicker. Plead guilty, over and done with in a week or two, even the first day if they get it right, but taken too long. His jaw is still wonky and he needs $8000 of dental work. I've been to games nearly every weekend still. I just love the game. I don't do as much as I used to do or I don't really go out and see people. Just changed a little bit, that's all. Are you going to ref again? I think I will be. I've been told to go to the gym, getting fit and get ready for the fitness test next year. Abusing the ref isn't unusual, but should it be. And what does it mean when abuse turns to violence and what happens on the field ends up in court? That is unusual. Earlier, I spoke with Simon Walters, a senior lecturer at AUT's School of Sport and Recreation. So what was his reaction to the sentence? I was surprised. I'm not saying it shouldn't have been that severe, I was surprised. I'm not saying it shouldn't have been that severe, but based on the fact that sports tend to deal with these events in-house, it was a bit of a surprise, yes. They do deal with them in-house, but what's the dividing line, then, between bad sportsmanship and a crime? Oh, I think clearly physical assault on a referee has crossed the line. Interesting that in the States, a colleague of mine was saying today that there are 18 states that have actually got legislation that makes striking an official a criminal offence in those states. They've actually got legislation as well that covers player-on-player violence. But that's been more problematic. Is that because refs...? Do we see them as fair game? I think we do. I did a study on children's sport and looked at sideline behaviour ` and these were young kids, primary school kids ` and the abuse of children, verbal abuse at young children and referees is becoming normalised, I would suggest. So, you know, these young children are exposed to it. You sort of see referees as fair game, if you like, and we can abuse them, so it opens up the door for the more excessive cases to occur as well, possibly. I think for any of us, if you've gone to watch a sporting game, there are people on the sidelines screaming abuse at the ref. You know, 'You're effing blind or you're this or you're that.' They really cop it. Does that build up a culture where even physically attacking is not seen as something too out of the ordinary? That's a good point, because it becomes a social norm and accepted and normalised that it's OK to abuse them. I think the backlash the media coverage and most people talk about ` hitting a referee's going too far, but these referees are volunteers, so the knock-on effect of that ` if you're a referee and you don't feel safe and protected then that becomes a major problem in attracted volunteers to do these jobs. The fuss of Fasavalu's case is an extreme. It is, yeah. But how common is it for something like this to go to court? I believe up until about 2007, there were 10 cases previous in NZ, which is lower rates than in the UK, the US and Canada, so possibly we're more accepting of violence in our society. When you were studying kids in sport and things like that, did you have a look at what sort of people become referees? I didn't, but it's always intrigued me. It's not a role that I would find` I think you have to have a thick skin before you start. You know, it is seen to be part and parcel of the game that people take out their frustration on the referee, but they're still volunteers, and without them, we just wouldn't have a game. These are physical games. People actually go out ` and you hear them talking about it ` to smash each other. In that environment, is it surprising that tempers flare, people lose control and they lash out? It's possibly not surprising, but then part of sport that always concerned me about children's sport ` Part of sport isn't just about winning and smashing, it's about learning how to lose and learning how to accept defeat, and sportsmanship, and possibly we've lost sight of that a little bit. How is this going to change things? This weekend, a lot of people are going to be going out, playing sport. Is this going to change players' attitudes, do you think? You know, if these consequences are there and it is possible to be taken to a criminal court and face possible jail or detention, then it must have an impact in some way. Simon Walters, we appreciate your time. Thanks for joining us. No problem. My pleasure. The question tonight ` is our passion for sport blinding us to bad behaviour? Go to our website. Email us at closeup@tvnz.co.nz. And we're on Facebook too. Facebook.com/closeup, and on Twitter, @closeuptvnz. Coming up ` we've been voted the best place to do business. Is that good business for the K worker? And saddle up ` Bottom line is the animals suffer pain, fear, stress. We've got absolutely nothing to hide. the rodeo's coming to Dunedin. Forbes Magazine ` its motto is the capitalist tool ` has declared NZ the best country in the world for business. Not a bad accolade. Australia, by the way, didn't make the top 10. Makes us sound efficient, open, business-like even. But will the title translate to jobs and investment? To talk about what makes us a good a place to do business and if we can do better is Kim Campbell from the Employers and Manufacturers Association, and in our Wellington studio Russel Norman, the co-leader of the Green Party, who's got his own ideas on increasing productivity. KIM, WHO IS THIS GOOD FOR? WELL, TIS GONNA BE GOOD FOR NZ AND REASON IS THIS IS FANTASTIC PR FOR NZ. FORBES IS A WIDELY READ MAGAZINE WE'RE A COUNTRY DEEPLY IN DEBT. WE NEED CAPITAL. WHEN WE GO LOOKING FOR IT, THEY'RE THE ONES WE SHOULD IMPRESS DOES THIS TRANSLATE TO CAPITAL COMING IN? NOT NECESSARILY. THEY DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A GOOD PLACE TO MAKEM ONEY SOME OF THE THINGS THEY TALKED ABOUT ` EASE OF REGULATIONS, WE HAVE A GOOD RULE OF LAW, ALL THOSE THINGS OUR STOCKMARKET HAS PERFORMED WELL IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. THAT'S ONLY BECUASE OTHERS HAVE DONE BADLY TRANSPARENT LEGAL SYSTEM. RUSSELL NORMAN, DO YOU ENJOY THIS ENDORSEMENT? WELL, I AGREE WITH KIM THERE'S SOME GOOD PUBLICITY. IN TERMS OF HAVING LOW STANDARDS AND WEAK REGULATUIONS I SPEND A BIT OF TIME AT GREAT POWER MEETINGS AND THEY'RE NOT CELBRATING A LOT OF THEM LOST MONEY IN FINANCE COMPANIES. THEY'RE NOT CELEBRATING THAT LEAKY HOME OWNERS AREN'T CELEBRATING THAT THE YALE ENVIROMENT INDEX MOVED US FROM ONE TO 14. WE HAVE SUCH POOR PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT IT'S NOT A GREAT THING TO HAVE POOR STANDARDS. HOW DOES THAT WORK IF WE DON'T HAVE GOOD REGULATIONS? DOES THAT ONLY APPLY TO BUSINESS? YET FORBES IS SAYING WE LIKE THE PROTECTIONS NZ PROVIDE. THE FACT THAT YOU CAN START A BUSINESS EASILY IS A GOOD THING THE REGULARIY ENVIROMNENT IS NOT LIGHT HANDED HERE GOOD PUBLIC POLICIES CAN DRIVE INNOVATION CERTAINLY THAT'S BEEN THE CASE IN THE INDUSTRY RUSSEL, THIS LACK OF REGULATIONS IN SOME AREAS, DOES THAT RAISE CONCERNS? IF YOU'RE INTO SMART GREEN ECONOMICS, THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE GOOD PROTECTION FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND WE'RE SEEING SIGNIFICANT ENVIRONMENT DECLINEM THAT'S OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THE RMA IS VERY WEAK BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS WHEN IT COMES TO PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT THE FACT IS THE RMA IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST HANDBRAKES THE ECONOMY HAS. TAINUI IS TRYING TO BUILD A PROJECT IT IS CERTAINLY SLOWING THINGS UP IT MAY NOT GET THE ENVIRONMENT OUTCOMES LET'S TALK STATS INTERNATION WATCHLISTS ` OUR INTERNATIONAL RELGIATION IT RAISED CONCERNS FOR THINGS LIKE MONEY LAUNDERING OUR RMA ` .5% ARE DECLINED. 1% GO TO THE ENVIRONMENT COURT MOST OF THEM GO THROUGH STRAIGHT AWAY. IN THE EUROPEAN WHITE LIST, NZ HAS BEEN TAKEN OFF THAT BECAUSE FOR MONEY LAUNDERING AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES OUR COMPANY'S REGISTER IS SO OPEN, IT'S BEEN ABUSED IT'S HARD FOR NZ BUSINES IN EUROPE BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH LOW STANDARDS NO ONE WANTS TOO MUCH REGULATION SMART REGULATION IS CRITICAL FOR PROTECTING WORKERS' LIVES IT'S FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR ECONOMY THE GOVERNMENT THING IS ABOUT CUTTING RED TAPE IS YOUR SUGGESTION WE PUT IN MORE RED TAPE? MY GOODNESS. IS THAT A GOOD IDEA? WE ARE ONE OF THE MOST INDEBTED NATIONS ON EARTH 46% OF OUR ECONOMY IS THE GOVERNMENT WE NEED OT MAKE IT ATTRACTIVE FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT THIS PUBLIC RELATIONS IS BRILLIANT FO RHTAT IS IT JUST PR? WHEN DOES THIS` SHOW ME THE MONEY. I AGREE WITH RUSSEL - WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC POLICY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT FISCAL POLICY. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE CONVERSATIONS ON OUR TAX SYSTEMS RUSSEL, AUSTRALIA ISN'T ON THIS LIST. HOW CAN WE BE BETTER FOR BUSINESS WHEN THINGS ARE BOOMING IN OZ? AND WHAT THAT TELLS YOU IS THAT A RACE TO THE BOTTOM IN TERMS OF REGULATION DOESN'T PRODUCE THE BEST ECONOMIC OUTCOMES. RACING TO THE BOTTOM, WEAKIENING STANDARDS YET OUR ECONOMY HASNT PERFORMED WELL, YET ECONOMIES MORE RED TAPE HAVE DONE BETTER OTHER ECONOMIES WITH MORE RED TAPE ARE DOING BETTER AUSTRALIA'S A GAME OF TWO HALVES IT'S NOT ALL BEER AND SKITTLES OVER THERE WE HAVE OT INVEST IN INNOVATIONS FOR THOSE OF YOU THINKING OF GOING OVER THERE, IT'S TOUGH TO MAKE A LIVING WE NEED TO ATTRACT FOREIGN INVESTMENT FAST BANJO MUSIC Just ahead ` can a cowboy from down south take on the world's best? Mum, Dad, brother, cousins, uncles ` they've all done it. It's in the blood. Dunedin's going a bit yee-hah this weekend as the cowboys hit town. The new indoor stadium will play host to one of the world's biggest indoor rodeos and the K boys are keen to prove they can mix it up with the international hot shots. Here's Megan Martin. Paul Robinson's not scared of hard work. It's not the easiest job around, no. Sort of, like, this and shearing sheep, you work with your head lower than your bum all day and got to carry a sweat towel for work. He loves everything equine and studied hard to become a farrier. METAL CHINKS I started shoeing back in probably 2004, I think it was. I just wanted to work with horses. Couldn't be a vet, take too long going through Massey, and I'm not that good at learning. More practical. He worked hard at his hobby too. Hang on to the saddle with your legs and hold onto the rope. Bucking rein, as we call it. This is Paul... ANNOUNCER: This horse likes to blow up high in the air; hard to ride. ...winning his national title at saddle bronc in 2011. The number one cowboy in the country. He's good, and with good reason. He's been riding the rodeo circles for a long time. Pretty much all my life ` third generation. My grandfather started one of the first rodeos in the South Island. Third generation. Mum, Dad, brother, cousins uncles, they've all done it, so, it's in the blood. And now,... Whoa, mate. ...this cowboy from Otago will ride against some of the world's best right here in Dunedin. Yeah, nah, we've got some good competition coming over from Aussie, America and Canada, so, yeah, us Ks are gonna have to have our spurs ready and, yeah, ready to go. Today, Dunedin's stadium was transformed into an arena, ready to host the biggest indoor rodeo outside of the States. We've got about 3500m2 of plastic going down followed by 800 sheets of plywood, and there's going to be about 70 truckloads of dirt ` about 400m3 of dirt going in. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The international rodeo has come to town. We're gonna have the biggest assembly of the best rodeo talent that's ever been assembled in one rodeo arena in NZ in history, so we're very happy with the calibre of talent. Announcer Kedo Olson's flown in from the United States. He's impressed by the setting. Well, I do a lot of indoor venues in the States. Pretty impressive buildings, but there's nothing like this. The bottom is open, so it has that fresh-air feel, yet you're covered indoor and comfortable, so it's a neat mix. And what's a rodeo without the clowns? Come on, paramedic! Australia's top comedy clown is here to entertain the masses. The clown's there to distract the bull, take the bull to him rather than running over the top of the cowboy, but, um, we use clowns in rodeos to punctuate the event, provide entertainment. Not everyone's chuffed the cowboys are coming to town. SPCA opposes the use of animals for entertainment. They'll have an inspector at the rodeo tomorrow night to make sure that the code of welfare is enforced. Another animal rights group wants rodeos banned here altogether. The Auckland City Council banned rodeos in 2008. Hamilton have also got a group working on getting them banned there, and we're doing the same. We would like to see rodeos banned in Dunedin City. The bottom line is the animals suffer pain, fear, stress. We've got absolutely nothing to hide, and we're quite happy for people to come and see what we do. Rodeo animals, we love them, and we treat them well, and there's absolutely no basis to all the misinformation that is out there. Organisers had hoped to sell 10,000 seats for tomorrow night's bull-riding, horse-bucking, barrel-racing extravaganza, but there's a way to go. We've sold over 5000 tickets, and, yes, we are waiting for the surge, and hopefully there'll be a big walk-up crowd. There's a lot of people. The town's buzzing. Everywhere you go, people are talking about it. ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSIC Regardless of how many bums are on seats, the cowboys are focused on one thing ` ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSIC their bum in the saddle. And if you'd like to see some of the action from tomorrow night and you're not in Dunedin - Megan will report on the rodeo for Sunday night's ONE News. That's NZ Close Up. Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air.