Garth George: Survey throws up results that are difficult to trust

A week or so ago Reader's Digest released the results of its annual "Who do New Zealanders trust?" survey, which was reported briefly in this newspaper and passed without comment.

Not surprising, perhaps, since the survey in both numbers ("a statistically representative sample of 500 New Zealanders") and method (online) must render it thoroughly unreliable.

Nevertheless, a study of the full results provided by Reader's Digest makes fascinating reading, more for the questions it raises about the thought processes (or lack of them) of the respondents than for the results themselves.

It is no surprise that the redoubtable Sir Edmund Hillary once again topped the list of most trusted people, for the man is the epitome of everything good and decent and upright.

The strange thing, perhaps, is that while the virtues, values and morals exhibited by Sir Edmund are in such short supply these days, they are obviously still greatly admired.

There has to be a lesson in there somewhere.

The oddest thing of all is that sportsmen and women, as well as filling all but two of the first 11 spots, make up nearly one-third of the 75 people recorded.

One has to wonder what it is about sportspeople that causes "statistically representative adult New Zealanders" to place them so prominently in the trust stakes.

What is there to trust in sportsmen and women?

Australians have no such faith. None appears in Australia's top 10, which is devoted to leading lights in the medical field, a category notably absent from our entire list.

Although she was seen as the "mother of the nation", former TVNZ newsreader Judy Bailey comes in only at 18th.

Dame Sylvia Cartwright comes in 21st equal, which seems odd since you would think the Governor-General would come top of anyone's trust list. Dame Silvia is, incidentally, bracketed with cricketer Daniel Vettori, Trade Me founder Sam Morgan and racing driver Greg Murphy.

Among others to feature are the eccentric Tim Shadbolt, erstwhile mayor of Waitemata and third-term mayor of Invercargill, at 51; Jonah Lomu, described as a "rugby legend", at 52; filthy rich businessman Graeme Hart, at 57; and delicious body beautiful Nicky Watson, at 69, who, I'll bet, didn't get one woman's vote.

Alleged refugee Ahmed Zaoui's PR campaign obviously hasn't worked since he is placed at 72; and right at the bottom is Brian Tamaki, founder of Destiny Church.

Now I reckon that's unfair. Mr Tamaki was obviously the only parson on the list and I'm sure he would have scored a lot higher had the list contained a number of other priests and ministers.

I suspect that it wasn't his somewhat lavish lifestyle and his assumption of the honorific Bishop that caused Mr Tamaki to take the wooden spoon, but rather the fact that he has the courage to stand up and say publicly what he believes, which, of course, makes a lot of people uncomfortable.

Obviously the respondents don't have much time for any sort of parson anyway since the accompanying survey of trust for 30 professions has religious priests and ministers at 18th, which is a sad commentary on the state of the Christian Church.

Then there are the politicians and, believe it or not, the top-scoring Beehive drone is the transsexual Georgina Beyer, at 60th, one ahead of Prime Minister Helen Clark. Figure that one out.

Other politicians to make the list are National newcomer John Key (65), Finance Minister Michael Cullen (68), Opposition leader Don Brash (70), NZ First leader Winston Peters (71), Act leader and dancing star Rodney Hide (73) and Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia (second-last).

None of those except Ms Beyer is a surprise - although one wonders why Winston Peters is there at all - considering the professions' trust survey lists politicians dead last.

Is it not rather incredible - and surely infinitely sad - that the running of this country is in the hands of people whom nobody trusts?

It saddens me deeply that my profession is seen as untrustworthy - journalists come in at 25th among the professions, ahead only of real estate agents, psychics, car salesmen and politicians.

That wasn't always so. There was a time when we were, with the exception of those who worked for the old Truth, held to be trustworthy. But then we were all largely anonymous, and dispassionate objectivity was an indispensable tool of our trade.

The most fascinating part of the survey involved trust of brands, mainly because I am at a loss to know how respondents ranked various brands, other than by their perception of advertising.

This is particularly so for cars. How many of 500 people would ever have owned a Mercedes, a BMW, a Jaguar, a Lexus, Audi, Volvo or Saab. Yet there they are all ranked.

Toyota comes first (an astounding 10th out of 103 brands), for its cars are as common as dirt, whereas Nissan, which would be top of my list, is only 51st, one ahead of Ford.

The supermarket listings are informative. New Zealand-owned New World and Pak'n' Save are at 17 and 19 and the first of the Australian-owned outlets, Countdown, is way down at 36, ahead of its stablemates Woolworths at 39th-equal and Foodtown at 48th (which in my view is far too high).

And the conclusion I draw from all this? Quite simple, really: Don't trust surveys.