Not honoured
I was not honoured by the Queen today.Perhaps my job is not important, I’m not earning enough money, or I don’t have a big enough expense account to influence people who may wish to nominate me. Unlike two former mayors who were honoured today, I have not been voted out of the three positions I have been elected to – and even if I was, there were no awards for the important things I am elected to provide my services to.
It’s not like I don’t know some famous or well-known people – I do. But I don’t have an expense account to take them out to lunch and ask for their nomination.
Queen's Birthday honours used to feel like real honours, not a golden handshake for collecting a salary. Guess it’s cheaper than a gold watch though.
Time for a republic.
Labels: Queens Birthday
1 Comments:
You're suffering from the glow of nostalgia, I think.
The twice-annual honours lists have always been about the government of the day rewarding its supporters, and those who by dint of public profile would cause electoral harm if not honoured.
They've always rewarded an outgoing political opposition because they know full well, that they, themselves, will be on the way out some day, and want the favour returned.
I'm not sure a republic will change things - republics don't typically have titles and honours to hand out, after all. So you either make up something as equally arbitrary as the so-called 'Order of New Zealand' or you do away with honours lists altogether.
Some alternative? Public referenda to decide who gets honoured?
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