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New Years Honours List

by Whaleoil on December 31, 2011

The NZ Herald has the full list. The top honours are:

Some arty farty type was elecvated to the Order of New Zealand – Ralph Hotere, Artist

The following have been knighted:

  • Dame Roseanne Meo, for services to business
  • Dame Susy Moncrieff, for services to arts (World of Wearable Arts)
  • Sir Father Des Britten, for services to the community (Wellington Downtown Ministry)
  • Sir Colin Giltrap, for services to motorsport and philanthropy
  • Sir Graham Henry, for services to rugby
  • Sir John Todd, for services to business

I always wonder about the whole “services to business” bullshit.

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  • ConwayCaptain

    If you look at it all bar Des Britten have been appointed for doing well in business and have been well rewarded for it.  Des has worked for the less fortunate.

    I like seeing the lower decorations where people have awards basically for servicrs to the community

  • Anonymous

    Sir Des headed the Wellington City Mission which is an Anglican outfit and does the same sort of thing as the Auckland City Mission. One of its operations is an alternative ‘high school’ for those expelled or excluded. The Wellington Downtown Community Ministry is vaguely similar and AFAIK is a joint venture between an Anglican, a Methodist and a Presbyterian inner city parishes. It does a lot more political and beneficiary advocavy than the City Mission. Some years back, the then head the Downtown operation said that theft was quite OK as a means of re-doistributing wealth.

  • Anonymous

    Services to rugby. He was employed as a coach, was paid, and did pretty well. Does that mean that any employee that does reasonably well at their job will get a honour award?

    Bloody silly.

    It seems like honours get given for the sake of it, rather than for outstanding work either at personal risk or for no reward.

    • Gazzaw

      I hear where you are coming from rouppe but just so that I can be clear. Based on your values Des Britten is the only deserving recipient as the others, Moncrieff included, have all made a poultice out of their business interests or careers. Would you say therefore that as Sir Peter Leich falls in very much the same category as Colin Giltrap (sport & philanthropy) & therefore should not have received his knighthood?

      By the way I totally agree with your views on the ‘services to business’ bullshit but I do think that Henry & Giltrap are exceptions. Let’s face it the RWC was a very timely ‘bread & circuses’ event in a verytough year. The public expectation was for the victor to wear the laurels. Henry rightfully accepted  the honour, to have refused would have been churlish, McCaw rightfully & understandably declined.

      • Anonymous

        I was quite careful to not name too many names. 

        Peter Leitch ran a successful business. He used the profits from that business to sponsor and support what he loved – Rugby League. This cost him personally, and was not something that he needed to do to conduct his business. Colin Giltrap, similar story.

        Graham Henry, in my opinion, simply did what he was paid to do. 

    • Guest

      It is an honour – it’s not supposed to be in lieu of pay. It is recognition by government that someone has done something inspiring, whether that’s winning the World Cup for the sport we truly care about, or selling lots of widgets or doing something arty. No person who wins a gong is expecting to do so because they made a sacrifice along the way. They just had a life that was more extraordinary, that others will look up to them, and that we want to remember those NZers in a special way.

    • Troy

      I looked through the very top honours, the recipient of the Order of NZ, the Knights & Dames and only knew one person – how bad is that?  It’s an indictment really on a system that is entrenched in gongs for mates – especially at the higher end.

      Signed, His Excellency the Right Honourable Most Emmiment Doctor Sir Knob-It.

  • jabba

    I see Clark, Cullen and Wilson miss out

    • Kthxbai

      To be fair, they prob. would have declined anyway.

      • Gazzaw

        I wouldn’t bet the house on it.

      • jabba

        Clark and Wilson have said they woudln’t accept such honors (why Wilson would think she would deserve one is beyond me) but not sure about dodgy Cullen. I wonder if Goff would say yes??

      • Gazzaw

        Didn’t stop their mate Cath Tizard from grabbing one so that she could become GG of all things!  Hasn’t stopped real socialists in the past from accepting knighthoods either – Nash, Nordmeyer, Rowling, Douglas, Palmer and even union boss of bosses Tom Skinner. Those names are off the top of my head, I am sure there are a few more.

    • http://votenz.blogspot.com/ Joel

      Clark? You mean Helen Clark? She’s already got New Zealand’s highest honour, the Order of New Zealand. She rejected the titular honour, however.

    • Peter Wilson

      Don Clark has passed away. Christain Cullen, Jeff Wilson? Too young.

  • Blair Mulholland

    Yeah call me old-fashioned, but I don’t think you should get a title for simply making a ton of money.  Surely your ton of money is enough reward?

    • Guest

      Why not give them a title for making a boatload of money? Being successful in business is just as valid as being successful in rugby for a knighthood. Successful businesspeople create jobs, create wealth for others, provide a valuable service to others (otherwise no one would buy their services or products), and most importantly, the title and recognition serves to inspire others to be successful too. 

      • Blair Mulholland

        I’m not saying it’s not wonderful that people make lots of money.  But their reward is lots of money.  A knighthood seems superfluous.

  • Blair Mulholland

    At least they are not in the habit of giving knighthoods to top civil servants as of right, like they do in Britain.

  • nadis

    Colin Giltrap was awarded for services to political donations.

    • Paul Rain

      Helping save the country from four years of ruin works for me. Knight on.

    • Anonymous

      Fuck off Nadis, Giltrap has launched the careers of Dixon, Reid, and is a driving force behind upcoming drivers in Europe. Without Colin Giltrap, we would not have any chance of a top-level Kiwi driver in circuit racing in the next decade. It’s because of him that we do. He’s spent a lot of money supporting local drivers and racers and deserves the recognition afforded to anyone who gives assistance to athletes and young talent, and that’s before you acknowledge his success in business. 

      • piss-in-a-bottle

        Completely agree.
        Giltrap has done a huge amount for the community in general, with his support of starship, cancer charities, etc etc.
        His is well deserved - unlike a lot of other brown armers who got them ‘for services to business’ while doing nothing more than what they got paid for!

      • Politically Unstable

        Scott Dixon was funded by a private group of shareholders who got paid back their original investment plus a bit more. They might have doubled their original investment at the most. I am not disagreeing with Giltrap getting a knighthood, but get your facts right

      • Anonymous

        Politically Unstable – The Giltrap Group was one of Dixon’s biggest backers. I’m not sure which of my facts aren’t right here. Or are you just trying to say “they got their money’s worth” in an extremely condescending way?

      • Politically Unstable

        Dixon got into the US with the formation of a private investor group. I don’t recall seeing Giltrap’s name as a shareholder. To be fair, he may still have had some input along the way. I was surprised that the shareholders could be bought out relatively cheaply for throwing money at the guy. This is not a criticism, just an observation.

      • Anonymous

        I recall Dixon’s FF posters having something Giltrap related on them but that could just be a normal agreement. I’m fairly sure Giltrap has had a major role in Dixon’s career, will have to hunt out the book. 

  • Michael

    Sir John Todd has created a lot of employment in New Zealand since the Todds sold car manufacturing interests to Mitsubishi (a wise decision given the Government ended car tariffs a few years later.)  Plus Sir John and the Todd Foundation have supported a lot of charities quietly over the years –  without the Todd family financially supporting Special Olympics it may have never gotten off the ground.

  • Arnold

    wonder if Winston nominated his missus….Des Britten deserves his..Fran Wilde – nah…Moncrief – yes…i don’t have a problem with the Todd or Giltrap one, both contribute through their business to the success of NZ and keeping people in work, great comment on the Todd foundation and special olympics.

  • Anonymous

    I have no problem with Henry getting the award. He’s done big things for Auckland rugby long before he was All Blacks coach, and when you compare the way he treated the press and the public to the way that Mitchell did, he was a far more genial and approachable person. That’s before you even get anywhere near his coaching success. Let him have this one. It’s only fair until the All Blacks can start winning Emmys for their TV ads. 

    • Politically Unstable

      To think that half of NZ did not want Henry to continue in the role….I wonder how Robbie Deans feels…

      • Gazzaw

        The way Deans is performing he’ll be lucky to score the Order of the Wombat.

  • Boss Hogg

    One of our crew got a Queens Service Medal for services to the community.  He is an immigrant, now a citizen and a JP.  He may be the hardest working Kiwi that I have the pleaseure of knowing.

    Damn proud we are too.

    Immigration can work.

  • Vlad

    Not sure what Colin Giltrap did re Scott Dixon, but he funded the NZ A1 team, launched Reid’s career and has supported a lot of other NZ drivers & motorsport over the years.  May not be everyone’s favourite pastime but it doesn’t get a lot of govt handouts (Hamilton City Council excepted lol).  

    • Gazzaw

      I’m not a petrol head so lets take the motor racing aspect out of it. Giltrap is a largely unsung philanthropist. Certainly not  a media queen & rarely seen on the social pages unlike the wannabe A listers who go on show when they know the cameras will be around.

      He’s just another good bastard. 

      • Rockfield

        Completely agree with that.

        R.

  • Rockyr

     I think each of the awards can be justified. Moncrieff put the nation and NZ Fashion on the map with her wearable arts, Giltrap and Todd have been major philanthropists over decades have stayed in the country and paid tax, Henry distinguished himself in Education before Rugby and while he was lucky one point justifed his Knighthood. Des BRITTEN on the other hand was worthy by a country mile.

  • Anonymous

    I re-met yet another Knight just today. I have every respect for our Kiwi Knights and Dames.
    We should be proud of our high achievers. Whilst I consider myself one of our populace, an ‘anti-recognition’ stance from anyone, to me indicates a sorry childhood followed by a similar, adult perturbation.  

  • Peter Wilson

    As a matter of interest, who was PM when Shearer got his MBE.

    • Rockfield

      Oh shit, let me guess ….

      R.

  • Peter Wilson

    I wish you hadn’t mentioned the one point thing, as it now causes me to rethink my support for Henry’s knighthood. The French could easily have snuck in, and a knighthood would have been laughable; in fact he would have been seen as a perennial loser, and should have been dumped the first time. The other honour winners have proven themselves over a long period of time.

    In hindsight, thank goodness Carter was injured as it allowed Donald to come in as a replacement. After all, Carter failed at two previous RWC attempts.

    • Gazzaw

      Fate is a funny thing Peter. Sir Edmund Hillary wasn’t supposed to climb Everest either.
      He could well have been just another retired beekeeper. 

      • Peter Wilson

        Yes, but once Hillary and Tenzing began their ascent you can’t say the same amount of luck was involved in them succeeding, surely?

      • Gazzaw

        Mallory & Irvine may tend to disagree were they able. Even by 1953 meteorology was more luck than good management and it would have been a total lottery when Hillary & Tenzing set out from the base camp.

      • Peter Wilson

        Gassaw…

        As Sir Ed himself intimated, Mallory may well have got to the top, but, apparently didn’t make it down again. I’d say it would be reasonable to expect of someone that climbs a peak to make it up AND down again, before claiming they have conquered it.

        But, it does get me thinking that gongs shouldn’t be given for one-off achievements. Luck could have conspired against Hillary, as it could have against Henry, and they both would have ended up as also rans.

  • EX Navy Greg

    Disagree Peter, Ted got his gong for years of service to sport, not just for winning the world cup.