3 March 2011
The Honours Unit
Cabinet Office
Parliament Buildings
Wellington
ROGER KERR
I have been invited to provide a letter of support for the award of a New Zealand Royal Honour to Roger Kerr. It is a great pleasure to do so.
I have known Roger for over 30 years, initially as a highly regarded officer in the New Zealand Treasury, and since then as the Executive Director of the New Zealand Business Roundtable. In the latter role, which he has held for some 25 years, Roger has made what I, and many others, consider to be an unparalleled contribution to the critical assessment, development and promotion of a wide range of vital public policy issues. I have no doubt that his record of fostering rigorous appraisal, debate and formulation of economic and business policy in particular, is without peer in New Zealand over the last two decades. Roger’s influence is demonstrated by the tribute paid to him at the time he was awarded the prestigious Qantas-New Zealand Institute of Economic Research Economics Award:
No single individual has done more over the last 5 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.” (NZIER Chair, Michael walls)
The citations made at the time of receiving other major awards, which include the Tasman Medal and the Charles Copeman Medal, are equally laudatory.
I personally, as well as people from a number of organisations I have been associated with as a Board member, have participated in many discussions with Roger about a wide range of public policy matters. His enthusiastic willingness to engage and contribute in an intellectually robust, principled, and open manner has been greatly appreciated. Indeed, it has invariably been indispensable to the development and formulation of vital public policy issues. In saying this I would emphasise that, in my experience, Roger has always been willing to promote debate and consider well-conceived contrary views. I believe Roger to be a person of undoubted integrity, an attribute that underpins the quality, consistency and relevance of his remarkable achievements over many years.
There can be no doubt that Roger has made a truly exceptional contribution to the development of soundly based public policy in New Zealand. Accordingly, I unreservedly consider him to be a most worthy recipient of an appropriate New Zealand Royal Honour.
Yours sincerely
Paul Baines
Company Director
Related posts:
Sir William Gallagher’s nomination of Roger Kerr for a royal honor
Sir William Birch – letter of support
Sir Paul Callaghan – letter of support
Mr Nicholas Calavrias – letter of support
Sir Roderick Deane – letter of support
Hon Rodney Hide – letter of support
Dr Murray Horn – letter of support
Mr Stephen Jennings – letter of support
Sir Ralph Norris – letter of support
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