Prime Minister John Key says knighthoods and damehoods are more popular than ever in New Zealand, with no plans to follow Australia in scrapping them.Of course not - he has donors and cronies to pay off. Because that's what knighthoods are actually used for: as a corrupt source of revenue and patronage for the National Party.
Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced a decision to remove knighthoods on Monday, saying the Cabinet had decided the titles were "not appropriate in our modern honours system".
Key, who restored titular honours in 2009, said he stood by the decision and had no plans to follow Turnbull.
The sooner we abolish them, the better.