Dame Lisa Carrington is relishing the intense competition from Aimee Fisher … Dom Post, Friday 29 April

by Roger Childs

At least be consistent!

Shouldn’t it be Miss, Ms or Mrs Aimee Fisher? I do not like the honours system we have in New Zealand, but it is a reality, so the media should be consistent. PM Helen Clark wiped it but PM John Key, obviously looking ahead to a knighthood, re-introduced it. 

My late father defined an OBE as other blokes’ (other b words possible) efforts. He was tired of politicians, judges and military top brass getting honours for just having done their well-paid work.

Obsessive deference

The mainstream media seem to be obsessed with calling the chosen ‘Dame this, Sir that’ etc … Cricket fans will recall Richard Hadlee, after getting his knighthood, insisting on being called “Sir Richard” when commentating on international cricket. 

Another example of the deferential media pandering to titled sports people was in the Tokyo Paralympics when in the women’s cycle race the commentators insisted on calling Brit Sarah Storey Dame Sarah … I’m sure she was embarrassed.

Earning respect

Giving someone a national gong does not automatically bring public respect and esteem. Do we value people more because they are Sir Richard, Dame Susan, Lord or Lady someone?  We like to think we live in an egalitarian society without an establishment, however, many would see titles helping to create an élite. 

It becomes ridiculous when the chosen few, such as Hadlee and Devoy, insist on being called by their title. It would be like a close friend or relation with a Ph D demanding that you calling her or him “Doctor”!

Esteem and respect are things which are hard earned, and the idea that knighthoods and other honours recognise and enhance people’s reputations is ill founded. Famed All Black Richie McCaw has huge respect in the country and overseas, but there was no need for a knighthood which he clearly acknowledged. 

It is time for the country to have a serious look at ending the honours system and stop doling out gongs to politicians, judges, defence people and others for merely doing their well-paid jobs, and not always that well.

Halls of Fame and community awards are a better way of recognising outstanding achievement and volunteer service.

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by Geoffrey Churchman

Although I’m lukewarm on the idea of NZ becoming a republic, I fully share Roger’s views on the British honors system reintroduced by the Key government and continued under this regime. Additional issues they raise are:

* It is totally incongruous for the Jacinda government to be dishing out gongs that refer to the British Empire when her Maori caucus constantly decry how dreadful it allegedly was, making up atrocities that the British are supposed to have committed here in exactly the same way the Zelensky regime in Ukraine concocts (mainly false) atrocity claims about the Russians. The radical extremists in the Jacinda regime make much noise about the need to ‘decolonize’ everything, yet they implicitly endorse the same empire they decry. Have Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia of the Maori Party given their Imperial honors back? Nope

* The British Empire no longer exists; there is the Commonwealth, but the gongs refer to the empire.

* The honors system has been totally discredited by some of the recipients: among others; Ron Brierley, Michael Fay, David Richwhite, Frank Renouf and Roger Douglas who got knighthoods simply because they made a lot of money, in some cases by underhand methods.

I’ll be pleased if Ashley Bloomfield (or Doomfield as he is often referred to) is given a knighthood by Jacinda at the end of this year as Leftists urge for parroting on the ‘podium of truth’ shonky medical claims from the infamous Dr Fauci and Pfizer — the outcry it will cause should with luck bring about the second and final demise of these archaic honors.