Going, going, gong?
Business leaders are among those about to receive recognition under an honours system some say is an anachronism in modern New Zealand. John Anthony looks at the arguments – and possible alternatives.
Is an Order of Tui something that could ever fly? Could a Kauri Grand Companion stand the test of time? Tomorrow morning the veil lifts on another round of New Zealand Royal Honours, with 200-odd New Zealanders receiving gongs for all sorts of achievements and service.
Some featured on the list will be household names, others you will have never heard of. Attached to those names will be a series of letters – some holding more weight than others.
All are decided on by Cabinet and signed off by the Queen.
But as New Zealand’s identity evolves, and our affiliation to the royals fades with time, is it time to overhaul the way we recognise high achievers?
Victoria University of Wellington public law expert Dean Knight believes so.
He says the current royal honours system is antiquated, with too much emphasis on sirs and dames, harking back to a monarchical past that is not relevant to the present.
He wants a more Kiwi flavour to the way we recognise good sorts such as changing the titles used to te reo Ma¯ ori or having orders which reflect distinctly New Zealand symbols.
‘‘How about we have an Order of Tui?’’
He says it’s been 20 years since the last major review of the honours system and New Zealand’s national identity has changed a lot in that time.
‘‘It’s only going to gather greater momentum and it’s probably time for some reinvention in that space.’’
He says recipients should be decided on by an independent panel, not Cabinet, in order to keep the process unbiased.
‘‘There’s the opportunity for those in government to effectively reward their friends and mates. Taking it out of the hands of the politicians makes it more apolitical and egalitarian.’’
He also believes politicians should not be allowed to make nominations.
‘‘Politicians should get out of the nomination process because it risks tarnishing the legitimacy of the honours.’’
The top brass is the Order of New Zealand (ONZ), New Zealand’s most senior honour.
Current members include the likes of Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jim Bolger, Helen Clark, Murray Halberg and Richie McCaw.
Then there’s the New Zealand Order of Merit titles; GNZM, DNZM, KNZM, CNZM, ONZM and NZM. There are also the Queen’s Service Order titles; QSO and QSM, as well as the New Zealand State Awards; NZAM and DSD.
But what do these titles even mean, who decides on them and how credible are they?
Basically they are awarded for varying degrees of achievement and service to the country and Crown.
Or as the Prime Minister’s Honours Advisory Committee put it in 1995: ‘‘Our honours system is a way for New Zealand to say thanks and well done to those who have served and those who have achieved. We believe that such recognition is consistent with the egalitarian character of New Zealand society and enlivens and enriches it.’’
In 2000 the Labour Government dropped knight and dame titles from the top levels of the honours system but in 2009 former prime minister John Key restored the titles. He was made a knight in 2017.
But the awards are not for everyone. Michael Webster, secretary and registrar of the New Zealand Order of Merit, says about 800 to 1000 nominations are made each year, and from these, up to about 400 honours are granted for the Queen’s Birthday and New Year lists.
And every year a small number of people decline to accept.
These decisions are treated in strict confidence, and no one has to give a reason, Webster says.
To give a sense of the numbers, there have been 22 New Year, Queen’s Birthday and Bravery Lists published since New Year 2010.
Over those lists, there have been 122 people decline, or an average of 6 per list.
Anyone can nominate a person they think is worthy of a New Zealand Royal Honour. People completing a nomination are required to outline a nominee’s achievements and what they have done to deserve it.
‘‘It has the potential to change everything, from the way they’re introduced, to the way they’re remembered.’’ Kelly Bennett
Nominations are received, on behalf of the Prime Minister, by the Honours Unit, a small team within the Cabinet Office, which is part of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
It then prepares the nominations for the Cabinet to consider.
Cabinet, made up of 19 top ministers including Jacinda Ardern and Winston Peters, meets weekly to consider public appointments including nominations for New Zealand Royal Honours.
Once the honours list is decided on it is approved by the Queen on the Prime Minister’s advice.
The Queen’s birthday and New Year are the annual occasions when honours are handed down.
However, from time to time, special, one-off honours lists, such as Bravery or Gallantry lists are published.
To some people, royal honour titles are extremely valuable.
For a business person it recognises a degree of leadership, skill, dedication and achievement.
BusinessNZ chief executive Kirk Hope says the awards recognises the important role business plays in growing jobs and prosperity in New Zealand communities.
Business leaders have received awards for developing new industries, markets or technologies, he says.
‘‘Having an honour or award is a tangible recognition of such contribution, carrying reputational value and weight,’’ Hope says.
Kelly Bennett, who has worked in public relations for 20 years, says that on several occasions he’s been asked to turn royal honours into useful media coverage for the individuals (and therefore organisations) concerned.
Being recognised by fellow Kiwis for being successful, hard-working and having integrity means a lot to people who are awarded an honour, he says.
‘‘For an individual and their brand, that always means a lot – as do the letters after your name.’’ For some, it will be a career highlight, he says. ‘‘It has the potential to change everything, from the way they’re introduced, to the way they’re remembered.
‘‘How someone chooses to leverage the accolade is up to them, and a reflection of how much value they attach to their own individual brand.’’
In October New Zealand’s political scandal of the year unfolded when rogue MP Jami-Lee Ross alleged businessman Yikun Zhang made a $100,000 donation to Simon Bridges that was unlawfully handled. Bridges denies the allegation. Zhang has not spoken on the allegations but a politician close to him says he denies the claims.
Less than a month before the scandal Zhang
became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to New Zealand-China relations, which have been largely through the Chao Shan General Association of New Zealand, of which Zhang is chairman.
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet declined a Sunday Star-Times Official Information Act request seeking the names of individuals who nominated Zhang for an honour.
‘‘Protecting the confidentiality of material about honours nominations and appointments is essential to maintaining the integrity of the New Zealand Royal Honours system,’’ the response says.
Auckland Mayor Phil Goff’s office publicly stated he nominated Zhang after the nomination was initiated by the National Government and included former deputy speaker of the House, Eric Roy.
National MP Jian Yang was also involved in the nomination.
Jeanette Fitzsimons sometimes uses her royal honour to fight ‘‘the system’’ that gave it to her.
The former co-leader of the New Zealand Green Party was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2010 for public services.
Fitzsimons, who spent 13 years as a Member of Parliament, says the honour comes in handy when fighting back ‘‘against the system’’, such as during protests against oil exploration.
‘‘Often when I do these things I’m with young people who are putting much more on the line than I am,’’ Fitzsimons says.
‘‘If someone with an NZM is out there doing it too it perhaps offers a little bit of protection for them.’’
She will add the letters after her name ‘‘because some people are impressed by that sort of thing’’.
She considered turning down the honour but decided to accept it for the good of the Green Party.
‘‘It makes the Greens visible if there’s an award like that given to Green leaders and I thought that was a good thing.’’
In saying that, she believes political leaders should not be awarded honours, and instead the awards should be designed to recognise people who work tirelessly at a community level.
She was disappointed when the ‘‘ridiculous’’ titles of knight and dame were reinstated.
Monarchy New Zealand chair Sean Palmer says having an honour handed down from the Queen adds gravitas to the award.
He says it is not necessary for nominees’ names to be made public.
‘‘There’s merit in the recipient understanding that the award comes from the Queen and the nation of New Zealand as a whole and how exactly their name made it to the honour committee’s ears is less important then the fact that they are being recognised by the nation.’’
Generally the public understands that if someone is being knighted it’s broadly for great accomplishments or great contributions.
In many ways the letters people add after names do not matter, he says.
‘‘There are lots of different levels but the public probably don’t have to concern themselves with that.’’
Honours can sometimes be revoked. Earlier this month former Hawke’s Bay mayor Hugh Hamilton was found guilty of financial crimes and stripped of his New Zealand Order of Merit. Hamilton was awarded the honour in 1997 for services to the community.
The only other person recorded in the Gazette, the official newspaper of the New Zealand government, as having their NZOM revoked since 2000 is Dr Morgan Francis Fahey, who was found guilty of sex crimes.
Sir Douglas Graham was able to keep his knighthood after being one of the Lombard Finance directors convicted of making false statements in a company prospectus.
And more recently, disgraced Ma¯ ori leader Sir Ngatata Love passed away before the Government had made a decision on whether to revoke his knighthood.