Prime Minister John Key said he was conscious that five men were knighted while only one woman became a dame in the Queens Birthday honours list this year.However, Mr Key said while he was aware of the discrepancy, the honours were given out based on meri
Prime Minister John Key said he was conscious that five men were knighted while only one woman became a dame in the Queens Birthday honours list this year.
However, Mr Key said while he was aware of the discrepancy, the honours were given out based on merits.
Rugby great Sir Frederick Richard Allen, philanthropist Sir Graeme Bruce Douglas, Mad Butcher Sir Peter Charles Leitch, businessman Sir David Raymond Levene and Weta Workshop boss Sir Richard Leslie Taylor were the men knighted this year.
Dame Temuranga Batley-Jackson, who has promoted Maori causes, was the sole female to receive the top honour.
Mr Key said he was "always conscious" of the gender balance in the awards and went to great lengths to make sure those honoured were worthy irrelevant of gender of ethnicity.
There were usually more men recommended to and by the Government, he said.
"But, we do our best to try and find females worthy of a dame-hood."
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