Grant goneburger

As I commented on four months ago, Grant Robertson succeeded in his application to be Vice-Chancellor of Otago University.

It is in one sense an unusual appointment. Normally VCs come from academia and have been Professors. Almost all the other VCs have PhDs:

• AUT – PhD (Oxford)
• Massey – PhD (Murdock)
• Lincoln – DPhil (Oxford)
• Auckland – PhD (Nottingham)
• Canterbury – MA cum laude (Natal)
• Otago (acting) – MD (Bristol)
• VUW – PhD in Biomedical Engineering (Auckland)
• Waikato – PhD (Toronto)

Grant has a BA from Otago. Now that is more than I achieved there, but it does remind me of the wag who wrote above the toilet roll holder in the union common room “BA degrees – please take one” 🙂

But Grant has a huge passion for Otago University, second only perhaps to rugby, and having been Minister of Finance is probably good prep for such a role – especially as Otago University is also running a deficit 🙂

The new Finance Spokeperson for Labour is Barbara Edmonds, which was expected. She is well regarded and was a former IRD secondee to both Judith Collins and Stuart Nash who rate her. However while good on policy, it is too early to know how she will go at being able to sell Labour’s economic credentials.

Robertson will be replaced as a List MP by former New Plymouth MP Glen Bennett.