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The Rugby Honours list?

by Whaleoil on June 4, 2012

The Queens Birthday Honours list has been released.

When reading through this list via No Right Turn I was gobsmacked at how many Rugby connected people have received awards…with the exception of John Kirwan…who has received his award for services to mental health.

The other thing I noticed was how many people who received awards had previously received awards….have they done more? I doubt it.

There are two very poor awards in my opinion. The awarding of a knighthood to Michael Cullen. This is outrageous. This man falsified a PREFU, he his a $1 billion deficit in ACC, bought a clapped out train set for another $1 billion when it was worth about $350 million and left this country saddled with the prospect of 10 years of deficits. He should be given something more appropriate…like herpes…in recognition of his achievements.

The other egregious and shameless pandering to the ordinary was the awarding of Simon Power a QSO. He was a minister for just 3 years, an MP for a short amount of time and did more harm than good. He deserves nothing than the pay he received in performing those tasks so poorly. The Queens Service Order is for Service…getting paid to do your job isn’t service.

There are many, many more people out there who have given a lifetime of service and done it all for no pay or recompense. The places taken up by civil servants and politicians in the honours list demeans their efforts.

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  • Arnold

    totally agree on your comments regarding Cullen and Power. Also can’t understand how Hansen gets something, he was employed to do a job….JK i am happy with

  • Anonymouscoward

    Dame Margaret Beazley ONZ

    Rewarded by the Politburo for her role as Three Gorges Commissar.

    • Troy

      This bitch his way overrated and now has a string of honours for being paid a lot of money to write reports… what a travesty.  As for Cullen, he can go get fucked too for being just another labour hypocrite – what a goat’s cock.

      • Le Sphincter

        Didnt borrow to pay for any of it

    • Ford

      3 gorges??..her and 2 other pigs?

    • Mediaan

      Dame Margaret Beazley is an outstanding public servant, as is Paula Rebstock. New Zealand has benefited enormously from the diligence, honesty and intelligent work of these two.

    • Lulu

      You obviously don’t know anything about Dame Margaret. Many of her achievements are not well publicised because she comes from an era where civil servants serve and don’t promote themselves. We are lucky to have had Dame Margaret take on the narly issues that other lesser beings aren’t man enough for.
      As for Toy’s comment he is an example of someone who should keep his mouth shut rather than than open it and confirm what an ill informed idiot he is. Dame Margaret has more ability and achievment in her little finger than Troy. 

  • Notrotsky

    Of the well known names John Kirwan is the only one that I can sit back and say “bloody well deserved”

    • Tom

      Im rather angry about this. Cullen should be in JAIL ffs

    • Mediaan

      What, because he plays rugby, or because he helped in an advertising campaign that said one in five of us is mad, and should trot along to the doctor for some pills and maybe a nice blast up the neurone with some electricity?

      I typed neutrons. No, neurons.

      This computer needs a thousand volts up the bloody neurons, and all.

  • Carver Media Network

    I bet Comrade Helen is stoked with Cullen getting his knighthood for services to fucking over NZ. Good god, next Matthew John BLOMFIELD and Garry Cecelia Whimp will be getting an honour

    • Richard McGrath

      Rise, Sir Matthew… has a ring to it, doesn’t it?

      • Carver Media Network

        More like “all rise” from the judges mouth as he delivers the guilty verdict

  • Phar Lap

    Yes shocked completely that Sullen Cullen the architect of election bribes .Interest free student loans ,working for families .Doing a jig when he saw the faces of English and Key,when they discovered .Lie-bour had left NZ a decade of deficits. His reward, a top job in the Post Office,plus the icing on the cake.A  Knighkood ,FFS wonder what he would have got if he had done something,for the benefit of NZ.

  • Gazzaw

    And Cullen voted for the abandonment of titular awards. His hypocrisy knows no bounds.

    I would hate to think that this champion of champions trough snuffler is about to secure a diplomatic post. A knighthood is often a precursor.

    • Rockfield

      It’s amazing how the left are so quick to stick their hand out and say “I’ll take that ….”

      I’ll rase you a FFS.

      R.

      • Le Sphincter

        It stinks. A KBE equivalent for a part time job living in Whakatane – what happened to Napier ?
        Quelle Horreur

    • Pukakidon

       Gazzaw

      Remember the Labour party are the party of do as I say not as I do.   It is full of hypocrites

  • Guest

    Well done Sir Cullen. Even John Key acknowledges your
    excellent service.

    • Gazzaw

      I hate to say this but JK could have approved it with the thought that his name might come up in the future and need the approval of a labour administration. Scratch my back…………….

      • starboard

        Of course!. They are all bent. Its all starting to show…Keys pisses in Clarks pocke,t off to the UN..when Keys rolled in 2017 ( clarkulas back by the way leading liarbor ) she pisses in keys pocket ,he gets a knighthood..everyones pissing in each others pocket dont ya see. Meanwhile NZ Inc rumbles along into the abyss…

      • Guest

        is that not the way it has always been though? The Brittish system, kiwi style.

      • Mediaan

        Honestly, unfair. The man works hard. He is modest. He is said to turn away the PM wage and donate it to charity.

        The position he has in the world, just through his personal qualities leading to respect from eminent people, is far greater than any knighthood right now. Did you see what visiting MEP Daniel Hannan said about him? Other leading world figures seem to welcome his presence and input.

        We are just so lucky that we have him.

      • Richard McGrath

        In reply to Mediann – yes Key is modest in a shucks gee whiz way. But he should take the opportunity to abolish the PM’s wage, not donate it to charity. And sack his socialist 2IC Bill “16%” English. 

    • Rum

      Surely Winnie deserves a title too.

      • Rockfield

        Have you got two suns on your planet ???

        R.

      • Richard McGrath

        He has a title – 66 year old pensioner from St Mary’s Bay.

  • Frank

     
    If Cullen’s performance was ‘excellent service’ then we should all be happy with the state of affairs his government left us with.
    I know that many creamed it under his policies, but we don’t hear much from the losers. (They are the people who were not quick enough to get their hands on other peoples’ money when Cullen made it easy). 

  • Harry

    Makes the whole system a joke, and waters down those few that deserve to get one (I agree with above and put JK in this bracket for services to depression as well as rugby) and is a kick in the face to those who don’t get any recognition but do countless good for free not for because its their job.

  • Allan

    Cullen should be in jail for financial fraud, werent his last words as he walked out of Parliament ” ha ha we have spent all of the money there is nothing left” I just do not understand a system which rewards a person who wasted 9 years of the best economic conditions that we have ever had and left the country in dire straits when he was finally booted from office.  The whole thing sucks big time.

  • JeffW2

    Cullen is a disgrace.

    • Richard McGrath

      I wonder if he’s a rich prick too.

      • Gazzaw

        At the risk of starting off more religious outbursts Richard I can best answer your question as “Is the pope a Catholic?”

  • Guest

    Well fuck me days you know this country is rooted when a prick like Cullen gets honoured. What next? Hone Harawira for services to maori? Judging by this Years list not so far fetched is it.

    • Kapow

      Yeah, and Sue Bradford for services to ugliness. Cullen getting any honour just cheapens honours for everyone.

      • Pukakidon

         Mallard for services to dishonesty.

      • Richard McGrath

        Bradford would also get it for having one of the most extreme “Niw Zilind” accents.

  • Malcolm

    Interesting to compare Simon Power to Ann Hercus who likewise got a bauble soon after a short ministerial career. A bribe to keep them silent?

  • Rodger T

    2012 Queens Birthday honours, the best argument for becoming a republic so far.

    • Alex

      Under a republic we would still have some form of honours, and those honours would still be hijacked by political cronyism.  Think its time for the Queen to take back her honours and set up her own committee separate from the political process.

  • H2

    SIR Michael Cullen! hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha……..

  • Adybombs

    I don’t have a problem with having honours but we need to get real, they should be awarded to people who are actually doing a service.  Professional sports people and national level politicians,  should be ineligible,  We should also abolish the honours that are regularly awarded for services to being famous, services to be being rich and services to reading an auto cue machine.  As thing currently stand the whole set up has no credibility and no respect any more. The downward slide started with Holyoake and Muldoon awarding themselves knighthoods, presumably out of fear no one else would if they let their chance slip by.  To avoid the need for anymore embarrassing self awards the pollies have obviously reached an understanding, after all they wouldn’t want to be in the same self appointed situation as Bishop Brian  

  • Guest

    Well the only reason knighthoods were put back was so John Key could get one when he leaves office after screwing New Zealand up.

    • Rodger T

      Google….Cognitive Dissonance. I suspect you to have a textbook case.

    • Mooloo

      Guest you are the 1 in 5 . Take your pills and get an early night.

  • Arkantos

    That list is bloody huge.

    How about they reduce it to say five names per year? That’d keep the trash out.

    MPs and former MPs should not be eligable. Nor should “services to business” be a valid reason for an appointment.

    • Hark

      Couldn’t agree more with ditching those that purchase their gongs or titles. Having worked closely within the awards system, those “further down” the award level were always far more deserving than some old potter or opera singer only a handful of old ducks know of, or a token Police Iwi Liaison Officer.

      These are great to have (national honours) and should make us proud as a nation to recognize its best, rather than create controversy. Perhaps DPMC could provide the names of those that are nominated but refuse public recognition – now that would truly make interesting reading.

  • GPT

    Power got his for leaving after just one term as Minister

  • Rodger T

    Interesting that the todays Horrid editorial on how Cullen deserves his knighthood , nobody gives enough of a shit to comment.

    • Boss Hogg

      Indeed, I read that editorial piece a few hours ago and just smiled and thought his selective recall on facts was outstanding.  That sanctimonious, condescending, vainglorious arshole, Cullen, should have been shot with a ball of his own shit – that is my opinion !!

  • Ford

    sonny bill williams might get one next time

  • Anonymouscoward

    I approve of the gong given to Sir Peter Jackson if it is part of a deal to remove taxpayer subsidies for his movie making

  • Ricardo

    Your criticism counts for naught Anonymouscoward and Troy, when you don’t even know the name of the person you criticise with your ignorant venom. I can only assume you are trying to refer to Dame Margaret Bazley.

  • King Arthur

    Cullen!! WTF? Just another example of handing a nighthoodie to someone thats never taken a risk in his life.  All he’s ever had to do is turn up for work - for which he was amply rewarded. Don’t see too many names from Christchurch, recognizing those that put life and limb on the line…..

  • Richard McGrath

    Unrelated, but does anyone else think the chap that appears in the Ecofreako ad that often appears beside this blog might be David Beckham?

  • jay cee

    back to the original point i too was quietly amazed at the number of gongs for “services to rugby” .come on give us a break. rugby what? admin? coaching? bringing on the oranges at half time?

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