Independent Economics
Box 28049
Wellington 6150
www.pacroad.com.au
www.independenteconomics.com
The Honours Unit
Cabinet Office
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
1 March 2011
Dear Sir
I am writing this letter to support a number of friends and colleagues who believe strongly that Roger Kerr has made such a huge contribution to the advancement of economic policy in New Zealand that he is thoroughly deserving of an honour In the Queen’s Birthday Honours or failing that the next New Year’s Honours list to acknowledge this contribution in a positive and public manner.
As a young person, Roger was an outstanding student and achieved incredibly high grades across many disciplines, including French, English, Mathematics, Economics, Accountancy and in other spheres. He was the top student in NZ in the National Scholarship examinations in his final year at high school. He then graduated initially with first class honours In French Literature and went on to major with high grades in a variety of subjects, including what was to become his first love, economics.
I had the privilege of teaching him economics at Victoria University of Wellington and over many years of teaching he was the best student I ever experienced. He worked in Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Department as a young person before moving to the Treasury where he went on to become Assistant Secretary to the Treasury, a senior post in those days, and of most importance led one of the teams which were responsible for laying the foundations for a huge upgrade in the intellectual and economic base of the Treasury. He played a major role in advancing the changes which resulted in the economic liberalizations of the eighties and nineties and the subsequent restoration of very favourable productivity growth. Indeed the period 1988 to 2000 saw the best performance of the NZ economy for very many decades in terms of productivity growth.
By way of validation of my association with Roger, I should note that I have also known him well in my various roles as Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank during the 1980’s, as Chairman of the State Services Commission when the SOE’s were created and much reform of the public sector took place, as CEO of what was then the largest SOE, ECNZ, on which company’s board Roger sat, as CEO and then Chairman of Telecom NZ, and as Chairman of Fletchers, ANZ NZ and as a Director of both ANZ Bank in Melbourne and Woolworths Limited in Sydney. I taught economics part time for many years at Victoria University of Wellington, becoming Professor of Economics and Management in 2000,
Roger has been Executive Director of the NZ Business Roundtable for a remarkable 25 years. He has been a leading player in the economic policy debates during that time, playing a major role in developing and researching and promoting better policies for a better New Zealand across a remarkably wide spectrum of policy areas. While he has been a splendid advocate for better policies, one to whom many governments have turned for advice, sometimes privately rather than publicly, his other hugely important role has been to persuade the business community that it should stand for better policies for all New Zealanders and not simply concentrate on sectional business interest.
The array of publications and speeches and conferences organised by the NZBR under Roger’s auspices has been second to none in NZ in terms of both quality and quantity. This has resulted in considerable public international recognition for Roger and the research he has conducted to say nothing of the amazing array of policy analytical and empirical work he has promoted by using the resources of internationally recognised economists.
As well as receiving the 2001 NZIER Qantas Economics Award, Roger was awarded the Tasman Medal by the Melbourne-based Tasman Institute in 1994 in recognition of his contribution to public policy. In 2005 he was awarded the Charles Copeman Medal by the HR Nicholls Society for distinguished service in the cause of New Zealand and Australian workplace relations. He is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management (FNZIM) and a member of the Institute of Directors. Before his present role, he was a senior figure in both the New Zealand Treasury and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was a director of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand, a member of the Council of Victoria University of Wellington, and a member of the Group Board of Colonial Limited in Melbourne from 1996 to 2000.
The Chairman of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, Michael Walls, on presenting the NZIER Qantas Economics Award to Roger Kerr in 2001 observed rightly:
No single individual has done more over the last 15 years to persuade important parts of the business sector to support economic policies which, though often contrary to the interests of individual firms, were in the interests of the country as a whole.
The NZBR web site sets out his huge and impressive array of publications. There would be no economist in NZ with a superior record of publications in the economic policy arena. His advocacy of better policies is tireless and exhaustive. The networks of people he interacts with is extensive.
Roger has on some occasions in the past been a controversial figures for his strength of advocacy of sound and progressive economic policies for New Zealand despite the predilections of some journalists and politicians to feel that open and vigorous debate on these matters is not always welcome. But he has always remained staunch, calm and persuasive, intellectually rigorous and an advocate for empirical and research based solutions to economic and social problems. He is willing to engage in debate with anyone in any forum in the interest of pursuing the right solutions. He is creative and courageous and indomitable. He is endlessly generous in helping others and in encouraging debate to further our state of knowledge about the big issues. People who have taken the time to get to know Roger well have typically found him to be a strong colleague and a wonderful friend.
The media image does not always capture the personality and charm. He is a strong character who expects high standards from himself and others and who much prefers to debate the topic rather than the person.
Roger Kerr is a truly outstanding economist and a truly outstanding New Zealander.
No one has contributed more to the advancement of good economic policies in New Zealand and for New Zealand. He has a strong and well deserved international profile and recognition. In the world of economics and business he is one of New Zealand’s leading figures and a real and talented leader. His contribution to economic research and better policies in New Zealand has been huge.
It would be entirely appropriate and richly well deserved for him to be recognised by the Government by the award of an Honour.
Yours faithfully
Dr Roderick Deane
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