Last week, the Governor-General and President of the DPA represented our wonderful country in the presentation of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Award in New York City. The Governor-General, Anand Satyanand, says the award recognises “a sustained commitment to address the needs and wellbeing of New Zealanders who live with long-term impairment.” I’m sure we have our own views on that statement

But what I found most hilarious was the Govt’s audacity to have the Governor-General greet everyone in NZ’s three official languages, and the ceremony was also relayed in sign language. Now, far be it from me to have a problem with officials using sign language, but this whole thing just reeked of showboating. When was the last time you attended any Govt function where they had sign language interpreters? Since when was that a really important consideration? But as soon as there’s an award involved, it’s like “Shit, we’d better put on a good show here…” I dunno, maybe I’m being cynical.

Your thoughts on this whole award… thing?