1. Recently – Otago University – the oldest in NZ, and founded with pure Scottish history by new immigrants – my ‘Alma Mater’ for my 6 years undergraduate study in Medicine, and where 2 grandchildren are recent graduates and 2 are presently attending there – has recently – ‘wait for it’ -unbelievably announced a name change to that of the invented M?ori title of ‘Otakou Whakaihu’. Of course, Māori had a lot to do with the foundation of Otago University in 1869 – like ‘zilch’!!!
TODAY we also hear the news that previous Deputy PM and Minister of Finance, Grant Roberson – after destroying our economy and putting NZ into a huge unbelievable debt position – is leaving politics to take up the position of no less than Vice Chancellor (the CEO) of the University of Otago!
One has to wonder as to the University of Otago Council who made these two decisions.
2. Today we also learn that St. John of NZ – now renamed ‘Hato Hone’ by its ‘Knights of St John’ administrators, is having to cut back on its services (largely government funded anyway) because of financial difficulties. It is understood that many longtime annual donors – including my family for 40 years- have ceased their contributions because of the change to a Māori name – which St John officially refuses to alter.
Can we believe that this ancient ‘order’ was founded by Monks in Jerusalem in about 1080 to provide first aid, healthcare, and support – especially to many pilgrims- and is a movement established in about 40 countries worldwide. My postgraduate teaching hospital in London founded in 1805 has had a 200 Year history of mutual cooperation with that of the St John hospital in Jerusalem.
We can see how intimately NZ Māori has had such an association with St John, that its name here has such justification to be now changed to ‘Hato Hone’ – with such tragic financial results!
Dr LeGrice has had a long and distinguished career as an eye surgeon, university teacher, healthcare administrator, company director, board member and chair of public and private institutions. This article was first published HERE
One has to wonder as to the University of Otago Council who made these two decisions.
2. Today we also learn that St. John of NZ – now renamed ‘Hato Hone’ by its ‘Knights of St John’ administrators, is having to cut back on its services (largely government funded anyway) because of financial difficulties. It is understood that many longtime annual donors – including my family for 40 years- have ceased their contributions because of the change to a Māori name – which St John officially refuses to alter.
Can we believe that this ancient ‘order’ was founded by Monks in Jerusalem in about 1080 to provide first aid, healthcare, and support – especially to many pilgrims- and is a movement established in about 40 countries worldwide. My postgraduate teaching hospital in London founded in 1805 has had a 200 Year history of mutual cooperation with that of the St John hospital in Jerusalem.
We can see how intimately NZ Māori has had such an association with St John, that its name here has such justification to be now changed to ‘Hato Hone’ – with such tragic financial results!
Dr LeGrice has had a long and distinguished career as an eye surgeon, university teacher, healthcare administrator, company director, board member and chair of public and private institutions. This article was first published HERE
23 comments:
Yes i pulled out 12mths ago when they first changed.Our family had been members for 50yrs.
Weird how everything has been maorified. At my work, to get contracts from clients, the management have to say that they will honour te tiriti o waitangi, or they do not get the contract. No one knows what honouring te tiriti actually means though. I thought this madness would end once luxon and the coalition have come in, but it hasn't.
Well said, Hylton. New Zealand cannot afford to become inward looking and acknowledge primarily one culture in this country. We must celebrate and learn from the histories of all our peoples and certainly not dishonour the Order of St John with this virtue signalling name change. John Raine
One wonders how organisations can become so out of touch with reality. Everyone knows that most of the the older generations, traditonal supporters of St John, are not at heart pro maori. Has the Board or whatever runs St John been captured by pro maori as our Councils, education syatem etc? Or did they have just one or two pro maori and the rest, terrified as usual of cancellation, strung along in the modern manner. Many are immediately suspicious of corruption, feather bedding, unaccountability, of any organisation with a maori name.
It is quite obvious that the previous Labour regime holding the funding purse-strings for any and all organisations that took ANY funds from them would be and frankly were required to maori-up or go hungry for funding.
If you look at any organisation around NZ that takes any funding from government in any way you will find they have all in one way or another gone in that direction. Cast your eyes and see the facts.
Frankly they were bribed by a government with a socio-political CRT eugenics agenda and it is shamefull that they all layed down with the dog that had fleas.
It's just embarrassing! I am descended from the Scots (also a tribal people) who founded OU, and I too graduated there when it truly was an academy. There must still be some people of scholarship there surely - maybe not for long.
Frightening how so many people seemingly " go along with Maorification:
is this the easy solution to keep the easy life and avoid any confrontation?
History shows this appeasement attitude never works.
What is wrong with the NZ brain and character?
Anon8.22 - I find your comments about your work scary. Cult-like, brain washing, mind numbing.
I think your article will resonate with many Dr Le Grice.
I recently attended a graduation ceremony at Otago University. It was as much performative art and soft sell Maori indoctrination as a celebration of academic excellence. And I don't pay my taxes to support soft sell Maori indoctrination.
A while ago I ended my longstanding donations to NZ Forest and Bird, for similar reasons. I became weary of the ongoing Maorification of their communications and the soft sell Maori indoctrination/propaganda. Their right to do so, my right to withdraw my donations. I gave them money to support wildlife nothing else.
Kiwi's are fairly broadminded and reasonable people. I can't remember when I last heard anyone make a strongly intolerant comment about minorities of any persuasion , race , religion or long term benefit dependence.
But I believe now many have reached what they believe is the generous limit of their reasonableness. Over the last 6 years there has been a continuous attempt by the former government, government agencies and the media to indoctrinate us not only to tolerate such groups but that we finance, accept and encourage them. And that we accept the second rate.
The reality is that many average New Zealanders are finding it tough to keep a roof over their heads, feed their kids or help their kids through education or into home ownership.
That may not change for the better change for a long long time in NZ or other Western Democracies. Yet the taxpayers have been expected to finance support for endless wokeness and social engineering. Clearly this government intends to cease funding such activity and rightly so. And the taxpayer is very happy with that.
Success and financial independence in life is a narrow and highly defined road. Those that wish to depart from that should carry the consequences themselves. And clearly this Government is of such a mind. The taxpayer's money has run out.
Recently a staff member from a prestigious Auckland firm criticised a comment of mine. I then asked them if an applicant for a job on their front desk was likely to be successful if they viewed the world from a narrow slit in a bhurka . Or if it was put to a staff vote how many would be in favour of that person's employment . Probably none they begrudgingly replied .
I would no doubt have gotten the same answer if I had asked similar questions at the local garage or panel beaters or bakery about job applicants with facial tattoos , mohican haircuts or were heavy smokers etc.
People need to be reminded if they wish to succeed they need to fit in. If they want to embrace alternatives to the broad mainstream their are huge consequences. Or if they want to take part in performative art they cannot expect the taxpayer to fund it.
Times are getting tough, and people have reached the generous limit of their reasonableness. And this Government is of a similar mind.
And Mr Robertson's appointment was most definitely a second rate decision.
I too would like to cut my involvement with St. John out of disgust with their Maorification program. I actually sent them a letter asking them what relevance the treaty had to their business of providing health care and ambulance services. I got a formulaic reply which thanked me for my comment and said they would "get back" to me. That was 2 months ago and I haven't hear a peep.
Can I ask the commentariat what options, other than St. John, we have with regard to reasonably priced ambulance service?
Some 40 years ago, I was going to go to night school to learn the Maori language but, due to lack of interest, they did not do it that year, so I did German for two years, which stood me in good stead. A few years later, I lost my job when a well-known Auckland evening newspaper went down the gurgler. My wife and I went to Germany, Austria and Switzerland where some 160 million people speak German. I'll be damned if I will learn Maori now after what is happening to my country!
Is it possible that the Maori language, in part, comes from ancient Ionian Greece? Takau means Ice. With the O in front of it, it means a place of ice. Perhaps some linguistic scholar from the Otago University could verify that!
Kevan
I asked Air NZ to stop addressing me with a kia ora, their response was " if you don't like it, fly with another airline"
So I did.
Mr Luxon , are you listening ?
More of this and I'll buy a one way ticket on Qantas.
To Dr.LeGrice -
Good Sir - The Venerable Order of St.John/ New Zealand, when they re-located their Head Office from Wellington to Auckland, re-engaged a gentleman, who -
- had been a former Manager Ambulance Services Auckland, Northland, Coromandel
- has been CEO London Ambulance Service
when he took 'control' along with an increasing Management team that included a Maori gentleman, to procure 'an approach to inclusiveness with Maoridom', what followed as 'a re-branding - the adding of Hato Hone- St John' to then newer ambulance vehicles and of recent months with newer ambulances & associated ambulance vehicles now being painted with a Maori Logo.
Accomplished long before it became 'fashionable to bend a knee to Maoridom'.
If you think that 'sponsors, donors of cash etc' are the only ones walking away, there are within the older generation of New Zealander's, those who served with/for St John, now have reservations on the current St John presentation.
I saw a van all tricked out in Maori iconography the other day while waiting at a red light. For a few moments I wondered what company or trady it was advertising. I finally realised it was a heavily disguised ambulance. Talk about causing people confusion. Wokery gone mad.
LFC
I have had cause to call Nelson Hospital recently. I am so confused by the unintelligible nonsense
spouted over the phone that I am very careful to reiterate when speaking to anyone that I want Nelson Hospital. That is not what it seems to be known as these days.
Kia ora from air nz is mild compared to Auckland transport. Doesn't matter if their trains get cancelled every day, as long as they have re reo on every announcement
recently in "Epoch Times' former UK PM Ms Truss warns that leftists want to destroy Western Civilization,
(As in NZ )we used to have brave advocacy conservative values and we need to not compromise with the left.
She highlighted that communists and certain left advocates are seeking to undermine Western Civilization, a fact overlooked by conservatives.
All this cancel culture and Maorification should be seen for what it is.
one question. why is it that no-one is standing up for our british heritage?
I recall Sir Tom Skinner once ran St John. I doubt if he would be a supporter today
Comparing Qantas policy to AirNZ won't work, Anonymous. I flew to Brisbane, Cairns and from Townsville In July 23. I landed at none of those airports and was reminded on each flight that we were fortunate to be able to fly over the land of the indigenous people.
I've been in NZ for 30 years and still have problems with maori names. For years I called the Christmas tree, the Pooky-Wooky tree. Recently I've had to travel through Puke-more-more (must be something in the water) and on to No-haupo. Lately we had dealings with Hate-a-homo or The Honourable Order of ST John as it was. Derision is the only way I have of dealing with this nonsense without getting very, very angry.
Well done Hylton
I wrote to Otago Uni some time back complaining about the injustice of changing the name. I am simply disgusted that my alma mata has gone down this seedy road. A huge insult to our Scottish forefathers who established the University. I told them I do not wish to have anything to do with them in future - stopped donations and support and to never write to me again.
Dick Reaney
Kia Ora !!!
I f I phone to some government agency or go into a shop to buy something and I am greeted with it:
I am a s rude as them by answering:
Goede Morgen or Goede Middag, depending on the time of day.
I am not all too much interested in nonsense.
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