National is backward looking and out of touch

Prog Blog winced at the Prime Minister's response to Jim Anderton's questions about knighthoods. John Key doesn't understand the difference between honouring success in a New Zealand way, and honouring it with outdated royal honours as he wants to do.

Mr Key said Jim had previously tried to get recognition for Colonel William Malone with a Bill that would confer an honour that had the 'status of a knighthood.'

Precisely. The status of a knighthood. Very few people are opposed to having high honours for great New Zealanders. Colonel Malone was one of our greatest.

But it was not a knighthood. Colonel Malone couldn't be conferred a knighthood because it was posthumous. The British wouldn't let an honour be conferred more than five years after his death, when the facts about his heroism emerged.

Because we had an outdated British system, Colonel Malone couldn't be honoured. That's why Jim wanted to give him a New Zealand honour. And National voted against the Bill.

So let's see - Jim Anderton tried to introduce a New Zeaalnd award that had as much value as knighthood. The prime minister says therefore he is in favour of knighthoods? The prime minister is backward looking and out of touch.

Here is what is really disgusting about National - they are opposed to honouring genuine heroes like Colonel Malone. But they are in favour of handing out rewards to their donors. They are against New Zealand, and in favour of fuddy duddy old fashioned British awards