The New Year Honours are out.
It was good to see that Giff Davidson was given such a big honour. Giff has worked tirelessly for many years on behalf of New Zealand and business. And he has done a wonderful job in helping foreign Ambassadors and High Commissioners settle in to New Zealand. Very well deserved.
It was also good to see Margaret Shields recognised. The Hive still feels upset at the way Ian Buchanan staged his coup three years ago to unseat her as Chair of the Regional Council. It is for this reason that The Hive team had no sympathy when Buchanan was at the receiving end of similar treatment from Fran Wilde this year.
And good on Ken Stevens. You were given a hospital pass with Export Year, but you did the best to turn things around on behalf of the wider business community. We like to think that you have rewarded for this as opposed for the $20,000 you donated through Glidepath to Labour in 2005.
We were also delighted to see Gary Hawke recognised. Our only complaint about your work in recent years is that you allowed Jonathan Boston to move from academic to Government apologist/evangelist on climate change.
The NZ Herald is critical of the award for Owen Glenn. We have no issue beyond his poor choice of party and University to bankroll. We need more people like Owen supporting key education institutions.
