Helen Clark, ONZ. The latest recipient of this rather presitgious Order has been quoted as saying she wouldn't have accepted a Damehood. Um, by implication this means she was expecting something. Given a CNZM (Companion of the NZ Order of Merit) would have been "too low" for a former PM leads me to the question: Why should there be any expectation of a politician receiving anything at all! If one wants to use the argument that because they are politicians, they serve the country, well hang on, how about giving an ONZ to all those that serve in the Armed Forces. This is exactly one of the reasons why I started this blog. It really fucks my noodles that politicians expect a right to anything just because they are in politics.
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Back to Helen, smarmy as she is, she is added to a list of ONZ politicial recipients - hardly anything to be proud of. But naturally she will accept it. Heather Simpson (H2) would have insisted (as she did with many decisions she made as proxy PM.
The ONZ should have gone to people like Peter Jackson, or Richard Hadlee or my Dad for that matter who worked his guts out building dams and houses in the 50's for a pittance but for good cause. Politicians should be banned from this prestigious Order, but in reality it won't happen. The politicians haven't the balls to exempt themselves.