Sir John Key says honours is rite of passage for former prime ministers

The Queen, a rugby coach and the former prime minister all received honours today, but only one of those received criticism that extended well past the job they are known for.

Former prime minister and now Dame Jacinda Ardern took the highest honour given to a New Zealander on King's Birthday, being named a Dame Grand Companion.

Her damehood has been met with applaud, but an underlying theme of negativity surrounded the news on social media across the country today.

Stuff has chosen not to repeat the online vitriol, but former prime minister Sir John Key wasn't surprised to hear the negative feedback as "it comes with the territory".

Speaking from New Delhi, India, Key said he doesn't remember any negative feedback when he received his knighthood in 2017, but then again he wouldn't read it.

"Not that I can recall, but obviously I don't read all the comment boxes on websites. I wouldn't have seen it."

"I am sure some people might have been critical because of the nature of politics, but I don't recall it."

Key said he wasn't surprised the awarding of the damehood had received criticism from certain sides of the political spectrum, because that was the nature of politics.

"I think if you are a former prime minister it wouldn't matter what the topic is, people will be either for or against. It comes with the territory.

"The reality is being prime minister is a very challenging role. She [Ardern] undertook that job at a time when New Zealand went through Covid."

Ardern joined a long list of former prime ministers to receive the same level of honours.

Key and another former National prime minister, Sir Bill English, received knighthoods. Another National prime minister, Jim Bolger, received an Order of New Zealand in 1998 without the title, but he openly wanted to scrap knighthoods altogether.

In 1984 Sir Robert Muldoon was only the second prime minister (after Sir Keith Holyoake) to receive a knighthood while still in office.

In 2010 Labour's Helen Clark, prime minister for three terms, received an Order of New Zealand, which is limited to 20 living Kiwis.

Her government had scrapped the honours system in 2000, not long after she became prime minister in 1999. Her deputy Sir Michael Cullen also received a knighthood.

Key was so keen on titles in his rein as prime minister that he reintroduced knights and dames to the New Zealand honours system in 2009, nine years after they had been done away with by Clark's Labour government.

He said the online trolling, as well as disagreement over former prime ministers receiving the honour was uncalled-for, given it is rite of passage for the role.

"I think it is very standard that a former prime minister receives a significant honour and I think most people wouldn't begrudge that," says Key.

"I think every single one has received one, in my memory they have had a level of recognition with the honours system."

Clark couldn't be reached for comment, but had expressed sadness over Ardern's resignation in January and acknowledged a level of "hatred" towards the PM that had been unseen before.

"The pressures on prime ministers are always great, but in this era of social media, clickbait, and 24/7 media cycles, Jacinda has faced a level of hatred and vitriol which in my experience is unprecedented in our country," she said at the time.

"Our society could now usefully reflect on whether it wants to continue to tolerate the excessive polarisation which is making politics an increasingly unattractive calling."

Ardern was in two minds as to whether to accept the damehood, she told media in a statement.

"But I have heard that said by so many Kiwis who I have encouraged to accept an honour over the years. And so for me this a way to say thank you - to my family, to my colleagues."

Key said he was "extremely proud" both now and then to be awarded a knighthood as it reflected the effort his government achieved in the nine years he was prime minister.

"I think they (honours) reflect what was a huge team contribution was made, on many levels, from a very talented group of people that formed our government over the nine-year period

"I am a very proud New Zealander, and I was and always will feel very humbled to have received that honour."

Ardern did not respond to Stuff's request for comment on how her damehood was received.

However, former colleague and now Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the honour was a recognition for her service during "some of the greatest challenges our country has faced in modern times".

"Leading New Zealand's response to the 2019 terrorist attacks and to the Covid-19 pandemic represented periods of intense challenge for our 40th prime minister, during which time I saw first hand that her commitment to New Zealand remained absolute."

Serving as prime minister from 2017 until stepping down at the beginning of 2023, Dame Jacinda led the response to the 2019 terrorist attack which included the ban of most semiautomatic weapons and assault rifles just one month after the tragic event.

* This story originally appeared on Stuff.