Editorial: Those we trust have left the building

Mark Dawson, Editor of Wanganui Chronicle

So it's "Arise Sir John Philip Key" as our former PM proudly receives the obligatory honour in yesterday's Queen's Birthday awards.

That could spark the usual debate about the worthiness of honours for retiring politicians - especially when the nudge comes from your former sidekick - but it has probably become too tedious and too predictable an argument to bother.

It has been a good few days for Sir John who last week was voted New Zealand's most trusted politician in the annual Reader's Digest poll - despite hanging up his soundbites six months ago.

That long affable shadow should be worrying current prime minister Bill English who takes National into September's election without even making the top three most trusted pollies.

Still, Labour leader Andrew Little can't afford to be smug - in second place, the public voted Helen Clark who quit the scene in 2008.

What does this say about our current crop of would-be captains of state? Untrustworthy, or just a bit anonymous?

Bad news, too, for NZ First leader Winston Peters who didn't even place in the most trusted entertainer category, taken out by the Topp Twins.

Elsewhere in the political hinterland, the Greens unveiled a selection of candidates so young that they have had to employ a kindergarten teacher and set up creche facilities at Green HQ.

Better prospects for ACT, whose leader David Seymour actually did something about the Auckland housing crisis the other week by building a house that will accommodate a needy family of nine ... with a little help from Habitat for Humanity.

Seymour is on a bit of a roll ...

Last month the spate of dairy and service station raids targeting cigarettes - and we have seen a few of these in Whanganui - prompted him to suggest some of the government's massive tobacco tax should go back to vulnerable retailers to help them boost security.

Voila - last week, Paula Bennett put $1.8 million on the table for high-risk convenience stores to arm themselves with DNA spray, panic alarms and time safes for cash and cigarettes.

Well done, Paula .... er, I mean David.