A couple of Otago born-and-raised New Zealanders have been
voted among the most trusted people in the country.
All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, who was born in Oamaru and
educated at Otago Boys' High School in Dunedin, topped the
annual list of New Zealand's most trusted people for 2012.
McCaw, now based in Christchurch, lived in the Hakataramea
Valley and was schooled in Kurow before moving to Dunedin in
1994 to board at Otago Boys', where he studied until 1999.
New Zealand's second-most-trusted person, Alison Holst, was
born and raised in Dunedin, where she went to school and
graduated from the University of Otago.
The television chef, who has had about 90 cookbooks
published, was made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order
of Merit in 2010.
Reader's Digest commissioned the eighth annual Most
Trusted People Survey, undertaken by independent research
firm Catalyst Consultancy and Research.
It was conducted in two rounds, to determine who caught the
public's imagination in the past year, and to calculate
rankings.
A representative cross-section of more than 600 people rated
how much they trusted a list of 100 well-known New Zealanders
on a scale of one to 10.
Results also showed those who were least trusted.
Rounding out the top five most trusted were "Mad Butcher" Sir
Peter Leitch (3), former All Black Sir John Kirwan (4) and
New Zealand Defence Force soldier Willie Apiata VC (5).
Others with strong ties to Otago included Mosgiel-born All
Black Brad Thorn (23), former Dunedin resident and
psychologist Nigel Latta (equal 28), and actor Sam Neill
(equal 28) - a Lakes district resident and Central Otago
vineyard owner.
Cookbook author and television chef Annabel Langbein, of
Wanaka, was ranked 31 equal.
Radio personality Jim Mora, who attended Otago Boys' and
Otago University and began his broadcasting career in
Dunedin, was ranked 36.
The 59th-most-trusted New Zealander was jeweller and
businessman Sir Michael Hill, an Arrowtown resident who
developed The Hills golf course.
As in previous years, politicians made up the bulk of those
least trusted.
Ministers and MPs in the bottom 10 included Pita Sharples
(91), Gerry Brownlee (93), Tariana Turia (94), Winston Peters
(96) and Hone Harawira (99).
Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom was ranked 98, ahead of
last-placed Brian Tamaki, a church leader.
Of 40 listed professions, firefighters, paramedics, rescue
volunteers, nurses, pilots and doctors were most trusted,
while journalists, real estate agents, insurance, car and
door-to-door salesmen, sex workers and telemarketers were
least trusted.
- rosie.manins@odt.co.nz
Top 10
Most trusted New Zealanders in 2012
1. Richie McCaw, All Blacks captain.
2. Alison Holst, food writer.
3. Peter Leitch, businessman.
4. John Kirwan, former All Black.
5. Willie Apiata VC, soldier.
6. Peter Snell, former athlete.
7. Kevin Milne, former TV host.
8. Sarah Ulmer, cyclist.
9. Jim Hickey, TV presenter.
10. Judy Bailey, former TV presenter.
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