Herald NZer of the Year
An excellent choice by the NZ Herald for New Zealander of the Year:
Lenny Holmwood knew he should just run.
He had seen the murderous rage in Jan Molenaar’s eyes. He had watched Molenaar shoot the policemen. He saw the gun was still in Molenaar’s hands, and realised the bodybuilder was far stronger than him. He sensed he could be next.
But Holmwood also knew the two wounded policemen on the street had no chance without him.
Molenaar was intent on finishing them off. Blood streaming from their wounds, the unarmed officers were completely out in the open as they tried to stagger up the steep road. Molenaar was just metres away as he turned the gun on them.
So, on May 7, Holmwood stepped up.
A true hero. He got shot saving the lives of the police officers.
The Business New Zealander of the Year is Mike Daniell, CEO of Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.
Other nominees are detailed here. They include:
- Abby Wutzler & Maxwell Wilson for Tsunami warnings
- Dame Anne Salmond for academic achievements
- Paul Holmes for his anti-P campaign
- Al Rowland for proving damage to veterans from nuclear testing
- Deb Leask for her campaign against shoddy real estate practices
- Mike & Conor O’Leary for savings boys from a burning car
- Peter Yealands for wine making and conservation
- Roger Levie – for his leaky homes campaign
- Toesulu Maea Brown – for education in Manukau
December 5th, 2009 at 2:23 pm
I think Lenny should be considered for a George Cross. Oh, hang on, Helen did away with that, didn’t she? NZ Cross, then. (Doesn’t have the same ring about it though – not enough history yet.)
December 5th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Paul Holmes and his fight against “p”. What crap.
Want a good nominee for that particular position try this lady. Been on the job for at least two years and is not media junkey like Holmes. Indeed Holmes wouldn’t even talk to her when she offered her help.
http://www.nzcpr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20&p=26658#p26658
Over 2700 posts on her subject, deals with the family side of the equation and has a few ideas on what needs to be done.
Doesn’t belong to the paid bureaucrat society but funds herself. All driven because of what happened to her family. (like Beverly Pentland. Who you ask? Well the fireworks lady.)
Way to go Christine.
December 5th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I can’t argue with the winner and congratulations to him. HOLMES is a victim by proxy of the P pandemic rather than a hero of the fight against it. Had he shown his belated passion from the powerful position he held when Police Assn Boss O’CONNOR was campaigning against P before it got established, or supported the ex Detective (name escapes me) who has campaigned full time for several years then perhaps he may have merited some acknowledgment. He is being rewarded for being famous and that’s not what it should be about.
December 5th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Rod, a lefty agrees with you, we have the Victoria Cross of NZ so why not the George Cross and Medal of New Zealand ?
It seems that Labour did stuff up the awards, the George Cross has always been of equal ranking to the VC for acts of bravery not in the face of the enemy.
December 5th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Paul Holmes needs to go back to his grove in the Hawkes Bay and make his olive oil. The only heroes of the war on P are those fighting for the legalising of all drugs.
December 5th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
What, no one honoured for being paid a few million to chuck or hit a ball? No one recognised for the “contribution to business (political party coffers division)”? No one rewarded for sitting on a green leather chair, being paid a small fortune, and swallowing every dead rat they’re fed?
Oh wait, this isn’t the New Zealand honours system, I got mixed up. The poseurs and the troughers get their gongs on New Years Day.
An astounding line up of people, all worthy of every bit of admiration we can give them. Yes, even Paul Holmes. So what that it took personal tragedy to get him involved? Sometimes the scales only fall from our eyes when we’re dragged unwillingly into the pit. He could simply have directed his efforts toward his own daughter but he’s made an effort to help others in the same situation.
I admire him for it, as I do everyone else picked by the Herald in what must be one of their most judicious editorial decisions ever.
December 5th, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Rex, er not really. There was money involved. Follow the money.
December 5th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
Really V2? :-O Do tell… Paul’s not short of a dollar or two, so it sounds like a fascinating story (but one alas I don’t have time to investigate).
December 5th, 2009 at 10:37 pm
DPF, Rod, and Grumpy are right in agreeing with the NZ Herald choice. An exemplary hero.
Further on the George Cross. Grumpy says it’s awarded fro :
The distinction must be fine the way the Brits are awarding them in Afghanistan. See the links below. Wonder why they didn’t put these brave guys up for VCs instead?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1228040/Bomb-disposal-hero-killed-Afghanistan-racing-certainty-George-Cross.html
AND
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/7521221.stm
December 6th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Holme’s Anti-P campaign is unworthy of recognition by anyone but the deluded. Which part of what has been done has been effective, efficacious or efficient? Remind me please… everything that has been ‘anti-P’ seems only to on evidence produced more of the problem than existed before.
This is entirely predictable. “P” prevalence is a function of poor drug policy not the pharmacology of the drug.
If such policy as we have now is to be lauded, it cannot be lauded for its success. Mr Holmes waxes lyrical about his own family circumstances but then endorses the very system that has both failed him and others, but worse, has contributed to the very mess he sets out to clean up.
That ranks alongside stupidity and to nominate any ‘award of merit’ would be to bring the award itself into disrepute.
December 6th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Rex, scroll back through this subject and you will find it. I don’t have time either but its there.
http://www.nzcpr.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20&p=26658#p26658
you can maybe use the search function on the home page. I think that it was originally reported in the Herald and if my memory serves me correctly also involved that shinning example of a NZer Mike Williams. Now that should give you cause to wonder.