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Gongs of shame.

Over the (King's Birthday) weekend, another list of honours was released.

The concept behind these sought-after titles is a good one -- to reward those who make an effort to improve the world and ensure they are recognised in a tangible fashion as a sign of the nation's gratitude.

This country, like many others, is heavily reliant on the fine works of many who give freely of their time and effort to help others. These people deserve recognition and reward.

Well that's the theory... but the reality is not so flash.

To make my point, two of the most prestigeous awards went to a Queen who has spent just days in the country and a Prime Minster who was just doing the job to which she was elected and for which she was most handsomely paid.

I didn't realise that they actually had honours for "services to showing up and doing what you were paid to do" -- but apparently that's a thing.

In fact, that's the overwhelming theme of most of the awards given.

The list of recipients is filled with things such as:

• services to business
• services to local government and as a member of parliament
• services to thoroughbred racing
• services to the music industry
• services to the dairy industry
• services to plastic surgery

and the list goes on, and on and on.

The vast majority of people who received these gongs were simply doing jobs for which they were well paid. How is that deserving of an award?

Compare this to the countless numbers of "regular folk" who also have a day-job but spend much of the rest of their lives helping others in need. Sometimes they run food-banks for little or no reward. Sometimes it's simply working in the community to raise funds for essential charities that help support the poor and needy.

Surely the honours we see dished out each New Year and on celebration of the monarch's birthday ought to be focused on those who are the real heroes of our nation, those who otherwise go unsung and unpaid for their efforts?

To hand out these accolades to people who are simply doing their jobs, no matter how well, makes a joke of the whole concept.

Just look at how it has become pretty much de rigueur to give a gong to every NZ Prime Minister who has served at least a full term and one must ask, in light of the princely sum they get paid for doing the job and the valuable post-employment perks they'll collect until their death, why they need extra reward in the form of a gong?

To be honest, when someone gets a prestigeous award for simply doing their job it becomes an insult to all those tireless souls who are doing the real hard slog for no reason other than their commitment to helping this nation and its people.

So, Jacinda and all the others who were well enough connected to get an award for doing your job... don't think of it as something you should be proud of, wear it as a badge of shame and remember that it should have gone to someone far more deserving than yourself.

To those who did get an honour for your selfless, unpaid hard work on behalf of the community... congratulations.

And to those who also contributed their own unpaid efforts towards making New Zealand a better place, you all get the Aardvark Gong. Carry it with pride, you deserve it! Carpe Diem folks!

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