Two former finance ministers have been appointed Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit at this year’s King’s Birthday Honours.
Ruth Richardson and Steven Joyce, both former National MPs, have been honoured for their services as Members of Parliament.
Three other former MPs – Ian McKelvie, Anae Arthur Anae, and Dover Samuels – have also received Honours.
‘Early and decisive course correction was imperative’ – Richardson
Richardson was well aware that an interview about her King’s Birthday Honour would include questions on her time as finance minister.
The economic reforms she oversaw – and the 1991 ‘Mother of All Budgets’ – made significant changes to social welfare and public services, the effects of which are still felt by many.
Richardson started by saying in 1991 New Zealand was at huge risk, and was drowning in a sea of debt and perpetual forecast deficits.
“Early and decisive course correction was imperative. I didn’t flinch in my duty as minister of finance,” she said.
Richardson said her Budgets proved to be circuit breakers, resulting in a lift in growth and employment, a reduction in public debt, and the books going back to black.
Receiving the call she would be appointed a CNZM felt like a “seal of approval” for her work, she said.
“I have always worn those reforms that I championed as a badge of honour, and the restoration of New Zealand’s fortunes made it worth it. So I guess this award thirty years down the track is a recognition of that work.”
Anticipating a question that her critics may be surprised to see her receive an Honour, she told them to look at the evidence.
“Look at where we were. Look at the risk that we faced, look how vulnerable we were, and then look at the result. And the reward for those reforms was on multiple fronts.
“New Zealand was given a second chance, as it were, we were out of the valley of financial death, and we put ourselves on a sound footing as a result of those reforms.”
Most of Richardson’s Cabinet colleagues have already received Honours in the intervening years.
She said it was not for her to answer as to why she had not until now.
The recognition was also bittersweet, with Richardson recently experiencing a bereavement.
“It’s been a miserable May, so this is putting June on a good footing,” she said.
‘A real thrill to be able to do that’ – Joyce
Steven Joyce said he was “genuinely surprised” to be appointed a CNZM.
“I really see it as an acknowledgement of the team that I worked with in Parliament, and in the ministries, and also my family. They gave up a lot for this period, it was 10 very intense years, so it’s as much recognition for them, I think, as it is for me,” he said.
Joyce, who gained a reputation as National’s ‘Mr Fix-It,’ served as minister for transport, economic development, communications, and tertiary education during his time in government.
“There’s a few things that I’m proud to have been involved with. The ultra-fast broadband, setting that up was a real high point early on. The Roads of National Significance, it’s still a thrill to drive on the Waikato Expressway, and through the Waterview Tunnel. I bore my children silly reminding them that Dad had a bit to do with that,” he said.
“And some of the economic growth programme that I led under John [Key] and Bill [English] during that time, it was a real thrill to be able to do that. I saw it as sort of an opportunity to bring the various sort of micro-economic policies together and get them working in a cohesive way. I think we managed that, and subsequent events have shown it’s not as easy as it looks.”
When Sir Bill English replaced Sir John Key as prime minister, Joyce stepped up as finance minister.
He would only get to deliver one Budget, before leaving Parliament in 2018.
His replacement from the National party list, Nicola Willis, has just delivered her second Budget.
Joyce said it was a hard job, and one he did not have any FOMO over.
“Every challenging time is more real, the closer you are to it. We’re in the middle of it right now, but the GFC and the Canterbury earthquakes coming close together were pretty big for our government. I worked very closely with Bill through that period, so I do understand the pressures and challenges that arise, and the hundreds of things you’re trying to balance.”
Since leaving Parliament, Joyce has continued to write columns, which he described as his “post-political therapy”.
He said the old Kitchen Cabinet gets together from time to time, particularly the 2008-2011 team, and hoped they would get to do so again soon.
‘A lot of people have been very good to me’ – Ian McKelvie
Former National MPs Ian McKelvie and Anae Arthur Anae have been made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
McKelvie has been appointed the MNZM for services to local government, governance, and as a Member of Parliament.
The former Manawatū mayor, who was also MP for Rangitīkei between 2011 and 2023, credited those around him for the accolade.
“I think it’s a reflection of a lot of people have been very good to me along the way. And I’ve had some amazing helpers in my life… from my MP days, my agricultural and pastoral days, right through I’ve had some amazing people looking after me,” he said.
McKelvie is currently a community advisor at the University College of Learning. He has also spent his time post-politics farming and fixing buildings.
“I’m slowly finding some other things to do, because I thought I was going to do nothing but doing nothing’s not an option for me. I’m finding some little jobs to do, and I keep quite busy,” he said.
He has also had some time to do some travelling around New Zealand.
“We’ve got a little motorhome we pot around in, and we get around the country a bit. We’ve spent a bit of time in the South Island, so we’ve had some very nice looking at things that we wouldn’t have otherwise looked at, and stayed with some friends that we would otherwise not have.”
He is still chair of a body corporate in Wellington and so sees his old colleagues from time to time.
But he has no regrets on his decision to retire from Parliament just as National re-entered government.
“I wouldn’t want to be doing the work that some of them are having to do now. It looks very busy to me!”
‘Thrilled on behalf of my community’ – Anae Arthur Anae
Anae Arthur Anae served two stints as a MP, from 1996 to 1999 and from 2000 to 2002, and has been appointed a MNZM for services to the Samoan community.
Anae said he was surprised upon hearing the news of his honour, but was thrilled on behalf of his community.
“Something like this doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to them. I was just the vehicle doing a particular job.”
Anae suspected his work on advocating for the Citizenship Western Samoa Restoration Amendment Bill was a key factor in receiving the honour.
The law change, which allows for a pathway for certain individuals whose New Zealand citizenship was removed under a 1982 Act to apply for it, passed in November last year.
Anae said he had worked on getting the legislation over the line for about 27 years.
“After a long battle, people saw the light of where it went.”
The law change was tinged with some sadness for Anae, as many of the elderly people he had marched with when protesting for recognition were no longer alive to see the outcome.
Despite the King’s Birthday honour, Anae said he would not stop fighting for Pacific communities, including for Pacific people to be able to travel to New Zealand without a visitor’s visa.
“I’m not asking here, I’m demanding the Pacific people be treated the same way.
“New Zealand is our second home. This is where our families live. We’ve played a big role in the development of New Zealand.”
In regards to the honour, Anae said he had never considered receiving one.
At this stage, he said, he was only interested in one thing.
“To fix the wrongs that have been done to the Pacific community for too long. It is time New Zealand recognises who we are. We’re people who can do anything, and can prove we can do anything in this country. Don’t keep treating us as third-rate citizens. I won’t accept it.”
‘I’ve tried my best in Parliament to do the job on behalf of my people’ – Dover Samuels
Dover Samuels, a kaumatua from Ngāpuhi, said upon being notified he was receiving the Honour, he reflected on meeting King Charles at Waitangi.
Samuels was asked by the then-Prince of Wales how he was, and responded by saying “jolly good old chap!”
“I think he got a bit of a buzz out of that,” Samuels laughed, adding when he got the call to tell him he would be receiving an Honour that Charles had remembered his name.
He admitted he initially thought he was being scammed when he first received the phone call. After the second call, he investigated by ringing Parliament, who confirmed they had been trying to talk to him.
“I thought they might have been wanting to talk to Hone Harawira!”
Samuels, a Labour MP from 1996 to 2008, who served a stint as Māori Affairs minister and held a number of associate minister roles, has been made a Companion of the King’s Service Order for services as a Member of Parliament.
He said he had to reflect on why he had been honoured.
“I think that I’ve tried my best in Parliament to do the job on behalf of my people, and addressing the real problems.”
One of the fifth Labour government’s Māori policy mantras was “closing the gaps,” Samuels said.
However, he did not think that had been achieved, and the gaps had got wider since then. Looking back at the negative statistics that continued to haunt Māori had made him want to think again, he said.
“I’m convinced now, the negative statistics that have been haunting us will keep haunting us, until we recognise that the answer is in our own hands.
“The answer is in the hands of your own whānau, your own matua. Yeah, that’s where it must begin.”
Samuels also lamented the fact that there was still no Treaty settlement for Ngāpuhi.
He said the opportunity for a settlement was “in our own hands”, and wanted Ngāpuhi to consider the “loss of opportunity from generations that are not yet born, and for our mokopuna that could have benefited from a settlement from the biggest iwi in Aotearoa.”
He wanted Ngāpuhi to harness its talent and ability, and said if a settlement was achieved during his lifetime, and he had contributed to it, “then I would have done my share.”
By Giles Dexter and Lillian Hanly of rnz.co.nz
