Prime Minister John Key says establishing an independent body, free of politicians, to determine who should receive honours would make little difference to the selections that are made.
Some constitutional experts have called for the system to be made more transparent.
Mr Key, who chairs the committee which decides who is honoured and what recognition they get, says there'd be little benefit in taking the process out of the hands of politicians.
He says nothing much has changed in Australia, where politicians select the members of an independent group that decides on honours.
Some 172 people were recognised in this year's Queen's Birthday Honours List.
