Labour abolished honours too soon, says Mallard

Trevor Mallard. Photo / Greg Bowker

One of the senior Labour politicians who abolished knighthoods in 2000 now says the party moved too soon to do so and was not supported by many New Zealanders.

Trevor Mallard was one of the ministers on the Cabinet committee which made the decision to set up a new honours system without titular honours and abolish knighthoods.

One of Prime Minister John Key's first moves when National entered government was to reinstate knighthoods.

Mr Mallard said yesterday he did not believe New Zealand should have titular honours but Labour moved to abolish them too early.

"In time, like the monarchy, they will go. But I've got a personal view most Kiwis aren't ready for that yet. I thought there was a trend in public opinion away from the monarchy and overseas-based honours systems - especially titular - but the feedback I had both at that time and since is that there is still a lot of public support for them."

He said many also found the Order of Merit system Labour created to be too hard to understand.

He would not say whether he voiced concern at the time the committee was scrapping the honours. He said the general feeling among New Zealanders indicated a move to become a republic would not happen quickly.

The awarding of honours is decided by a committee of Cabinet ministers from nominations by the public and approved by the Governor-General.

Mr Key was yesterday also questioned about the gender balance of those awarded high honours.

In the Queens' Birthday honours, there were two dames and five knights. Of the Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit, two were female and 14 male. Overall, 57 women and 111 men were awarded honours.

Mr Key said the committee tried to get a gender balance.

"But we also have to make sure those honours absolutely reflect someone who is worthy of what they are getting and we wouldn't want to put someone up simply for the fact that they are a woman as opposed to a man."