The Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand was an annual media campaign run since 1997 by two activist organisations, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa and GATT Watchdog. The winners were chosen by a group of academics, activists, businesspeople and trade unionists.[1]
In April 2018 it was announced the 2016 Roger Award would be the final award, due to a declining number of nominations.[2]
Background
editThe awards bear the name of former New Zealand Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas, who introduced far reaching market-oriented reforms in the 1980s (also taken into account during the naming decision were New Zealand Business Roundtable director Roger Kerr, the verb "to roger", and the term "Jolly Roger").[3][4] These changes, reinforced by successor Ruth Richardson in the 1990s, made the country's economy one of the most open in the world. Through this period, the role and profile of multinational companies increased. The privatisation of Tranz Rail and Telecom New Zealand, companies that have won multiple Roger Awards, remain particularly controversial - since being given their first awards, they have been re-nationalised and unbundled respectively.
The Roger Award has been used as the model for similar campaigns overseas.
Criteria
editThe winner was selected by evaluation of the judges made on four criteria, "Economic dominance"; "Impact on people"; "Environmental damage and abuse of animals"; and "Political interference". This last criterion was judged on the basis of whether the nominee is "running an ideological crusade".
Having "won" on three occasions, Tranz Rail was inducted into the 'Hall of Shame' in 2003. It has ceased to exist having been absorbed by Toll NZ, a two-time nominee, and subsequently nationalised as KiwiRail by the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand. Telecom New Zealand was nominated each year since 1997, and has since been succeeded by Chorus Limited and Spark New Zealand.
Past winners
edit| Year | Winner | Runners Up | Other Finalists | Special Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Tranz Rail, New Zealand's largest rail operator [5] | Independent Newspapers Limited (INL), Coeur Gold | Telecom New Zealand, Comalco, Westpac, Juken Nissho, Lion Nathan, Brierley Investments | |
| 1998 | Monsanto Company, a US-based manufacturer of agricultural products [6] | |||
| 1999 | TransAlta |
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| 2000 | Tranz Rail |
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| 2001 | Carter Holt Harvey, a timber company [10][11] | |||
| 2002 | Tranz Rail |
Tranz Rail becomes the first occupant of the Hall of Shame [14] | ||
| 2003 | Juken Nissho, a timber company [15] | |||
| 2004 | Telecom New Zealand, New Zealand's largest telco [16] | |||
| 2005 | Bank of New Zealand and Westpac, banks[17][18] | |||
| 2006 | Progressive Enterprises, the largest supermarket operator in New Zealand[19][20] | Runner-up: Telecom New Zealand | Other finalists: Toll NZ, ANZ Bank, British American Tobacco, Contact Energy, ABB | |
| 2007 | Telecom New Zealand[21] | Joint runners-up: British American Tobacco and Spotless | Other finalists: GlaxoSmithKline, ANZ Bank, APN News & Media, Independent Liquor, Pike River Coal | |
| 2008 | British American Tobacco[22][23][24] | Runner-up: Rio Tinto NZ | Other finalists: ANZ Bank, Contact Energy, GlaxoSmithKline, Infratil, McDonald's, Telecom New Zealand | Business New Zealand awarded inaugural Accomplice Award |
| 2009 | ANZ Bank[25][26][27] | Runner-up: Rio Tinto NZ | Other finalists: Bank of New Zealand, Infratil, Newmont, Rymans, Telecom New Zealand, Transpacific and Westpac. | Accomplice Award: Auckland City Council and its officials |
| 2010 | Warner Brothers |
Finalists: Bupa, Imperial Tobacco, Vodafone, Warner Brothers and Westpac | ||
| 2011 | Rio Tinto Alcan |
Oceania, Sajo Oyang Corporation and Westpac | Other finalists: Adidas, Newmont Waihi Gold, Skycity Entertainment Group and Telecom New Zealand | Accomplice Award: the New Zealand Government (in its own right and accompanying both Sajo Oyang and Telecom). |
| 2012 | Taejin Fisheries |
Runners-up: Rio Tinto Alcan, King Salmon | Finalists: The four Australian-owned banks collectively (ANZ, ASB, Bank of New Zealand & Westpac), Insurance Australia Group, Newmont Waihi Gold, Taejin Fisheries Co. Ltd, and Vodafone. | Accomplice Award: The New Zealand Government, United Fisheries
People's Choice Award: British American Tobacco |
| 2013 | Rio Tinto[32] | Sky City Casino, Chorus | Finalists: ANZ, Chorus, IAG Insurance Group, Imperial Tobacco, Rio Tinto, Sky City Casino and Talent 2. | There were several nominations for the Accomplice Award, all for the Government |
| 2014 | ANZ Bank[33] | IAG/State Insurance | Finalists: ANZ Bank, British American Tobacco NZ, Coca-Cola Amatil, IAG/State Insurance, PGG Wrightson, and Rio Tinto.[34] | Food & Grocery Council |
| 2015 | IAG/State Insurance[35] | Serco | Bunnings, Westpac, MediaWorks New Zealand, Apple | |
| 2016 | Youi[36] | IAG/State Insurance | Uber |
References
edit- ^ Richards, Chris (June 2004). "Interview about: the roger award". New Internationalist. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ^ "Over And Out". CAFCA.
- ^ Choudry, Aziz (2 May 2001). "NEW ZEALAND: Battling to derail the TNCs". Green Left Weekly. Archived from the original on 2 August 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ^ Choudry, Aziz (April 2001). "Battling to derail the TNCs in New Zealand". Retrieved 25 May 2008.
- ^ "Roger Award for 1997". Watchdog. 87. June 1998. Archived from the original on 23 February 2014 – via Scribd.
- ^ "Roger Award for 1998". Watchdog. 91. August 1999 – via Scribd.
- ^ "TransAlta Wins 1999 Roger Award". CAFCA. December 1999.
- ^ "Roger Award for 1999: Judges Report". CAFCA. December 1999.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2000: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. April 2001.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2001: Judges' Statement". CAFCA. February 2002.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2001: Judges' Report" (PDF). CAFCA. April 2002.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2002: Judges' Statement". CAFCA. January 2003.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2002: Judges' Report" (PDF). CAFCA. January 2003.
- ^ "Tranz Rail Shunted into Hall of Shame". CAFCA. June 2003.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2003: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. January 2004.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2004: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. April 2005.
- ^ "2005 Roger Award Finalists Chosen". Scoop Independent News.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2005: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. March 2006.
- ^ "2006 Roger Award Finalists Chosen". Scoop Independent News.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2006: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. February 2007.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2007: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. February 2008.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2008: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. March 2009.
- ^ "Roger Awards: British American Tobacco NZ Ltd Wins". Scoop Independent News.
- ^ And the Roger Award for 2008 Goes To Stuff.co.nz: Frontline by John Minto
- ^ "Roger Award for 2009: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. March 2010.
- ^ "Roger Award 2009 Announcement" (PDF). CAFCA. 11 March 2010.
- ^ ANZ Wins Roger Award for 2009 indymedia.org.nz, March 2010
- ^ "Roger Award for 2010: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2011: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. April 2012.
- ^ "2011 Roger Awards". Scoop Independent News. 21 April 2012.
- ^ "Roger Award for 2012: Judges' Statement and Report" (PDF). CAFCA. 1 May 2013.
- ^ "Rio Tinto Wins 2013 Roger, Sky City Casino 2nd, Chorus 3rd". Scoop Independent News. 21 April 2014.
- ^ "ANZ Wins 2014 Roger Award". Scoop Independent News. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ^ "2014 Roger Award Finalists Named". Scoop Independent News. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
- ^ "IAG/State Insurance Wins 2015 Roger Award". Scoop Independent News.
- ^ "YOUI Wins 2016 Roger Award". Scoop Independent News. 10 April 2017.
External links
edit- CAFCA - Roger Awards