Q+A with Jack Tame Grant Robertson: Covid inquiry, Labour's spending, tax
11 snips
Aug 16, 2025 
Grant Robertson, the former Finance Minister of New Zealand and now Vice-Chancellor at Otago University, shares insights from his political journey and personal experiences. He discusses his choice to skip in-person Covid inquiry hearings, reflecting on his belief in Labour's pandemic spending. Robertson also touches on the challenges of tax reforms, the polarized public reactions to Covid leadership, and the intersection of his sexuality with political life. Additionally, he highlights the need for equity in women's rugby and the importance of educational reforms.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Visiting His Father In Prison
- Grant Robertson vividly recalls visiting his father in a Victorian prison and the cold, confronting atmosphere of those visits.
- He says he continued visiting weekly despite anger and ultimately forgave his father, describing the period as hugely formative.
Interest-Free Loans Eased Student Burden
- Robertson argues interest-free student loans reduced student stress and overall debt levels for tertiary students.
- He calls the policy important for making tertiary education more affordable and treating it as a public good with private benefit.
Defending COVID Fiscal Scale
- Robertson defends the COVID-era fiscal response as necessary to save lives and livelihoods despite high cost.
- He concedes some programs didn't work perfectly but says overall spending aimed to keep people healthy and employed.