Yesterday I snuck off down to Dunedin to watch the Hon Dr Michael Cullen receive an honorary doctorate in law from Otago University. Which makes him a Dr Dr.
In his acceptance speech, the good Dr Dr told the audience he was probably the first person to have received an honorary law doctorate AFTER being the Attorney General and chief law officer for New Zealand.
I was privileged to have been there and miss him lots. Michael is pictured with his wife Anne, and me of course.
Update: here’s what Dr Dr Cullen said in his speech http://tinyurl.com/ybdlxnd
No comment.
Yay for Dr Cullen!!!!!
Gooner, it’s a sad indictment that some cannot summons the generosity of spirit to acknowledge the achievements of a great New Zealander, regardless of political leanings. Bah humbug, say the tories, after choking on the bounty provided by the taxpayer.
A “great New Zealander”!!!!
You have to be joking, Cullen is the worst finance minister in our nations history, he squandered the chance to take this country forward and as a parting deleted gesture to the NZ public he paid a fortune for a broken down train set.
Well deserved, a great New Zealander. Miss him loads.
I think his contribution will sit in the top three or four Labour Ministers of all time. He is a very special guy as well.
I bet he gave a great speech. Merry Christmas jennifer, Trev, big br, uv , leaked email and you too g, ooner.
Bill English disagrees with you Big Bruv. It’s his opinion that Michael Cullen prepared New Zealand for the recession, according to English’s statement on 18 December 2008.
http://blogs.nzherald.co.nz/blog/audrey-young/2008/12/18/things-must-be-bad/?c_id=1501219
Also, if Cullen was so bad a financial manager, why did Minister Simon Power appoint him to the deputy chairmanship of New Zealand Post, with the expectation he will become chairman?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10565648
As for the railway: the railway’s time in private hands has shown that commercial owners did not appropriately invest in sufficient maintenance of the national transport network. In short it was been run down by the private sector. As the price of oil increases, New Zealand will need a functioning rail system that can offer effective transport to the energy invested. Only a government body has the mandate to invest in New Zealand to that degree. Cullen’s foresight to prepare for the future came through again.
I can only agree with Trevor’s accessment – Cullen was a top minister. I wish him the best.
Geoffrey Palmer received an honorary doctorate of laws from Victoria University a number of years after serving as Attorney-General.
Trevor: The most recent edition of ‘Political Science’ has an article about NZ deputy prime ministers. Cullen was ranked 3rd in one section and 1st in another.
Top three: Douglas, Prebble, Bassett.
Jennifer, I am not a Tory and are never likely to be.
Did Ruth Richardson get an honorary degree from Estonia ?
Or did they want their money back for her economic advice
Congratulations to you, Cullen!
Gee all the G’s came out at once.
Michael did some great behind-the-scenes stuff in restorative justice for people who had had historic wrongs such as those abused in psychiatric institutions.
Wow, that is great Hilary, I’ve heard some of the appalling stories on tv.
Merry Christmas. 
what is it about Otago Uni these days? After the PREFU debacle, a law doctorate should come in handy.
I totally disagree with Trevor when he states that Cullen will be remembered as one of the tope 3-4 ministers of all time. New Zealand is now suffering under the consequences of Cullen’s politics of envy (remember what he called John Key in a fit of anger) where he bled the middle classes to fund his social policies. Cullen depreciated the concept of self responsibility.
His economic mismanagement is now evident. His defense of the EFA was a disgrace and on that basis alone he should never have been awarded this honorary doctorate in law from Otago University.
Another disgrace was as Jabba notes the lack of honesty in the PREFU reporting prior to the election. If I was an Otago Uni Alumni I would be resigning.
Ahh Jabba. Repeating the lies told by Hooten. The treasury took full responsibility for the Prefu debacle. They admit not following their own rules and the law in this instance . And that was the outcome of the inquiry set up by English
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10575023.
“….Treasury had mistakenly believed it did not need to be disclosed and offered poor advice to ministers.”
Yeah Monty, totally with you there… he bled me, and you, to pay for improved access to health, improved universal access to primary and tertiary education, improved support for working families, addressed New Zealand’s woeful inability to draw capital domestically for investment, and all those other offences to the middle classes.
I despise that he drove the most substantial programme of change in addressing historical Maori grievances, it erks me that he directed billions of dollars into justice, education, health, social services and attempted to increase economic robustness through job rich infrastructure investment.
In that light, I also despise Bill English for largely continuing with this hideous programme of investment. I’m JUST gutted. I can understand how you feel, what a waste of my tax contribution. I hope you resign from something in protest, it will certainly be noticed, I’m all for you doing that.
poor ole treasury .. remember the chewing gum budget. Dr Cullen offered 20c a week, or something like that, as “we” had no money BUT yehaaaaaaaaaaaa, treasury had made a mistake and what happened .. Labour upped the Nats student loan bribe with a bribe of all bribes. AND, it wasn’t the 1st time Micky blamed them to suit his purposes .. who would work in treasury aye?