News 16/6 – Grant Robertson, Rita Angus & SkyCity

June 16th 2010 at 8:24am, By Dave Guerin

  1. Labour Spokesperson It’s confirmed – Grant Robertson is the new Labour spokesperson on tertiary education. Most stories focus on other players, such as these from NZPA, NZPA (2), GayNZ.com,  the ODT, Kiwiblog and many more that I haven’t listed. There’s some background on Grant in the Press. Best quote from Grant was “There are lots of issues in tertiary education and I’m not sure National has really got a plan for that area, so I’m looking forward to taking (minister Steven Joyce) on.” The NZ Herald editorial said “The jousting with the well-performed Mr Joyce will provide an insight into Mr Robertson’s ability. It may have been too early for him to take a seat on the front bench, but his rapid elevation shows the shallowness of Labour’s mid-level talent pool.” Personally, I think we can expect a much more forceful critique of the government that will focus on both current pressure points and the Labour left’s key concerns of access, fees and student support. If you look at Grant’s time covering the State Services portfolio, you see both sophisticated challenges to policy and kneejerk responses to service or staff cuts. Part of the kneejerk response is about the issues in that portfolio over the last year or two, part is about Grant representing Wellington Central (also civil servant central) but a lot is about his beliefs too, as he is solidly on the left of his party. That said, he’s one of the smartest people I know, has a superb sense of politics, and is someone who I thought could be a future PM when I first met him in 1992, as did his other peers. Tertiary education politics suddenly became a lot more interesting.
  2. MIT School Starts MIT’s Tertiary High School is settling in with its first students.
  3. WelTec and Rita Angus WelTec is supporting a Rita Angus Residency for an artist - I was wondering why until I found out that the artist will have access to WelTec’s laser cutters and 3D prototyping equipment.
  4. Ethnicity University of Otago researchers are upset that people with Korean ethnicity are ticking New Zealander on forms and making them harder to analyse (NZPA story here).
  5. SkyCity Chefs SkyCity is proud of its involvement in the Nestle Toque d’OR Awards for student chefs, hosting them and contributing to the judging. 3 SkyCity chefs have competed previously.
  6. Coffee and Swimming Auckland barista and MIT lecturer David Huang is off to represent NZ at the World Barista Championships. SIT student Lisa Pankhurst is off to represent NZ in Samoa at swimming.
  7. Permit Changes Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman has adjusted permit criteria for budding students.
  8. Talented Vet Cliff Irvine, Emeritus Professor of Veterinary Science at Lincoln University, has died. He had a very impressive career, covered in an obituary by Lincoln.
  9. Otago Corner Interest-only courses will be halted next year at the University as it seeks to ration EFTS. Teaching excellence was also recognised at the University, while a professor speaks out on the links between research and teaching. A University student writes metal and orchestral music. The Polytechnic was back in the black for 2009  but still faces challenges.
  10. Bridge Death The trial continues of the man charged in relation to the death of a Massey student.
  11. UCOL Sculptor A UCOL Whanganui sculptor is getting international exposure.

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