In the 2011 Queen’s Birthday Honours, Roger Kerr was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to business. The following is the nomination for this honour submitted by Sir William Gallagher:
NOMINATION FOR A NEW ZEALAND ROYAL HONOUR
Section 1 – Information about the nominator – person making the nomination
| Title | Sir |
| First Name | William |
| Middle Names | Murray |
| Surname | Gallagher |
| Current Royal Honours | KNZM, MBE, HonD |
| Relationship to the nominee | As a member of the NZ Business Roundtable |
Section 2 – Information about the nominee – person you are nominating for a New Zealand Honour
| Title | Mr |
| First Name | Roger |
| Middle Names | Lawrence |
| Surname | Kerr |
| Citizenship | New Zealand |
| Current Royal Honours | None |
| Crown Appointments | Board of ECNZ |
Section 3 – The nomination details
1. Describe the service and achievements of the nominee:
In 1986 Roger Kerr left the senior position of Assistant Secretary to the Treasury in order to take up the position of founding Executive Director of the NZ Business Roundtable. He has held that position for a remarkable 25 years. He joined the NZBR because he perceived that it was essential for the business sector to be supportive of policies that served the national interest if New Zealand was to extricate itself from its long economic decline in international rankings, and he considered that the leaders of the NZBR supported this view. He succeeded in leading and sustaining such a business community. His highly principled and consistent advocacy has changed the dynamic of politics in New Zealand, in part by making it very hard for top firms to lobby for personal gain at the expense of good policy. In particular, the NZBR has staunchly opposed corporate hand outs in all their forms, including protectionism, anti-takeover laws, business subsidies, and tax privileges. This stance has been largely supported by other major business organization and Roger’s leadership role has also been vital in this respect. Under his leadership, the NZBR has achieved an enviable domestic and international reputation for the depth and quality of its research and the clarity of its principles and arguments. Roger’s unwavering belief has been that the role of business is to serve consumers’ interests and that the role of economics is to make best use of scarce resources so as to raise people out of poverty. A publication list is attached.
The NZBR’s undoubted influence on public policy debate during this period has inevitably been controversial at times. But his courteous, principled and detailed responses to opposing arguments has made it difficult for opponents who wished to maintain special privileges and avoid reasoned debate. As a result, it has been much easier for governments to implement much needed changes and considerably harder for other governments to unwind them. His commitment to designing and implementing exceptional public policy is held in high esteem internationally. His ability to interact with the wider business community has added immense support for better policies for all New Zealanders and the business community long term. Roger represents New Zealand and its business philosophies and objectives globally and he is tireless in his drive to create a business world that encourages empowerment, independent thinking and public policy for the long term. He has an exceptional ability to build and retain networks. with globally acknowledged thinkers on public policy which has added real strength and credibility to the debate.
2. Describe the contribution the nominee has made to one more the following: their local community, their region, New Zealand as a whole, and/or internationally:
Roger’s focus has been on contributing to national debate, but his contribution to the intellectual vitality of debate in Wellington, and to a lesser degree in Auckland has been exceptional. Few New Zealanders would have contributed as much through publications, willingness to accept speaking and debating engagements and media interviews. Indeed, it is hard to think of any other New Zealander who would have made such an influential contribution to public policy debates in New Zealand over such an extended period.
Roger’s eminence in the world of ideas has reduced New Zealand disadvantages of location and scale by attracting many top international experts to New Zealand who might not have otherwise come. One example is the annual Sir Ron Trotter lecture which has become a major business networking event in the centre in which it was held. Moreover, these visits have stimulated some of these experts to make contributions to public debate in New Zealand that would surely hot have occurred otherwise. (The publications by Richard Epstein in the attached list are an outstanding example.
Another contribution reflects the importance he puts on the education of young minds. This focus is illustrated by the NZBR’s many publications on education, his willingness to serve on the Council of Victoria University of Wellington, the NZBR’s recent sponsorship of “The Big Social Issues”debates between younger New Zealanders, and the support he has given to younger New Zealanders, often behind the scenes, to further their education on these matters both locally and overseas.
3. Describe what makes the nominee’s service and achievements staid out above and beyond that of their peers, or above and beyond what might reasonably be expected as part of their paid employment.
In the world of economics and business, Roger Kerr is one of New Zealand’s leading figures and a real and talented leader. No one has contributed more to the advancement of good economic policies in New Zealand and for New Zealand.
The extraordinary scope, quantity and quality of NZBR’s output during this period, is almost entirely the product of Roger’s exceptional mind, his ability to engage the interest and respect of top international experts, and his prodigious capacity for work. In recent years, the NZBR has employed only Roger, and a receptionist/secretary. There would be no economist in NZ who has overseen a superior record of publications in the economic policy arena, and few economists inside or outside academia with his extensive international connections.
Roger’s other outstanding qualities include exceptional optimism, persistence, courage, courtesy in debate, and commitment to making New Zealand a better place for New Zealanders. He believes in democracy, and in the power of reasoned arguments. 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. In addition, he is notably modest about his own role.
4. Describe how the nominee’s service and achievements are regarded by their colleagues, and whether they have been, formally recognised by their colleagues or through other awards (e.g. life membership of an organisation, honorary doctorate, etc.):
Rogers high standing amongst his colleagues and peers is evident from the letters of support accompanying this nomination. Below is some evidence that is in the public domain.
In 1994 Roger was awarded the Tasman Medal by the Melbourne-based Tasman Institute in recognition of his contribution to public policy.
In 1988, the managing director of the Australian economic consulting firm ACIL Consulting, speaking to an Australian audience, fulsomely acknowledged the contribution of the NZBR to quality public debate in New Zealand, identified Roger’s “prodigious productivity, consistency and persistence” and concluded that:
I can only say how lucky New Zealand is to have a national treasure like him, and how much we suffer because we don’t.
In 2001, Roger received the NZIER Qantas Economics Award. The Chairman of the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, Michael Walls, on presenting the NZIER Qantas Economics Award to Roger Kerr in 2001 stated that:
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.
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 was a director of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand from 1986 to 1994, a member of the Council of Victoria University of Wellington from 1995 to 1999 and a member of the Group Board of Colonial Limited in Melbourne from 1996 to 2000.
Positions or offices held by the nominee
Please set out the main positions or offices held by the nominee, and the period of service
| Organisation | Position | From (date) | To (date) current | Paid or voluntary? |
| The Treasury | Assistant Secretary | 1985 | 1986 | Paid |
| New Zealand Business Roundtable | Executive Director | 1986 | Present | Paid |
Letters of Support
Please obtain two or more letters that endorse the nominee’s contribution from people who are familiar with his or her service and achievements. The letters of support add depth to the nomination. Please attach the letters of support to this form and list the names of the support persons below.
| Name of person or organization | Tick if letter is attached |
| Dr Roderick Deane | |
| Dr Murray Horn | |
| Professor Paul Callaghan | |
| Mr Stephen Jennings | |
| Mr Nicholas Calavrias |
Nominator signature: ______________________________________ Date: 4 – 3 – 11
Letters of support (alphabetical order)
Mr Paul Baines – letter of support
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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