Awards for charity hospital and rest-home carer
Uncompromising, unassuming, and life-changing – however you describe Kristine Bartlett and her actions, be sure to add New Zealander of the Year to the list.
Five years, three court cases, two appeals and one landmark pay settlement later, the rest home carer of 24 years has received the award from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
It is a prestigious and national nod to the Lower Hutt resident’s significant contribution that saw
55,000 low-paid, mainly female care and support workers earn a pay rise.
She also received the Kiwibank kaitaka huaki cloak, Pouhine, by
2014 New Zealander of the Year Dr Lance O’Sullivan on behalf of last year’s winner, Taika Waititi.
The trust behind Canterbury’s Charity Hospital was named Community of the Year at Thyrsday night’s awards for its work treating people who cannot get medical care for their physical and mental conditions in the public health system.
It has relied on donations, grants, and volunteers to carry out about 1500 procedures a year since it was founded in 2005.
Founder and general surgeon Philip Bagshaw, who was himself nominated for an award, has previously hailed the ‘‘many thousands of people who have donated to the hospital and the handful of staff who have organised it’’.
‘‘They are the heroes really . . . Almost everyone is giving their time for nothing.’’
Other nominees included mental health advocate Mike King and microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles.
Chief judge Cameron Bennett said Bartlett was a thoroughly worthy recipient of this year’s supreme award.
‘‘At enormous personal sacrifice, [she] spearheaded the equal pay movement for caregivers in the aged-care sector.
‘‘In doing so she has changed the lives of thousands of New Zealand’s lowest paid workers, people providing vital health and wellbeing services to many vulnerable Kiwis.
‘‘Kristine embodies the values of fairness, decency and equity that New Zealanders have long held dear.
‘‘She didn’t seek out admiration or special recognition for what she helped achieve. She saw a need and had the courage of conviction to take action.’’
Despite her insistence that isn’t her, but the union E Tu which strived for change, she now joins a distinguished bunch of Kiwis; Dame Anne Salmond (2013), and Sir Richard Taylor (2012) to name just two.
Fellow Lower Hutt resident Kim Workman was also recognised as the Senior New Zealander of the Year.
Reducing recidivism through rehabilitation, reintegration and restorative justice has been his mantra.
In 2000, Workman’s appointment as Prison Fellowship New Zealand national director saw him establish the first faith-based prison unit in the Commonwealth, providing a mentoring programme for released prisoners.
He was also the principal provider of in-prison restorative justice services.
Described as a social justice advocate – and godfather of the restorative justice movement in this country – he joined the Salvation Army and launched the Rethinking Crime and Punishment strategy.
He also established Justspeak, a non-partisan network of young people seeking change in New Zealand’s criminal justice system.
Helping a generation of young Kiwis with free and low-cost education programmes has gone a long way to earning David Cameron the 2018 Young New Zealander of the Year.
The Aucklander – and founder and CEO of LearnCoach – helps 80 per cent of teens with educational support.
Innovator of the Year lies squarely on the shoulders of Team New Zealand’s design team for their revolutionary ‘‘cyclors’’, instead of grinders. Their dedication helped Emirates Team New Zealand win in Bermuda without out-spending the bigger teams.
Local Hero of the Year belongs to Kaitaia resident Ricky Houghton, who has led He Korowai Trust since its inception in the early 2000s.