New twist to Vic name change

Politicians have been told an act of Parliament is needed to change Victoria University’s name – and an MP says Parliament likely won’t back it.

Until now it was believed the change to drop ‘‘Victoria’’ from the name hinged on the decision of Education Minister Chris Hipkins.

Now lawyers have said it requires an amendment to the Victoria University of Wellington Act 1961, which Wellington MP Nicola Willis called ‘‘a game changer’’.

‘‘This is significant because I don’t think that a majority of the members of Parliament would support a name change.’’

The name change could be blocked, Willis said.

University alumnus Ross McComish yesterday presented a petition to the education and workforce select committee, titled ‘‘Ensure proper consultation before the name of a university is changed’’.

Currently, uncertainty surrounds name changes of universities, including whether change is challengeable at the regulations review committee.

At the meeting, Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association honorary life member and lawyer Hugh Rennie, QC, said they believed the name change process had ‘‘a serious risk of miscarrying’’.

Rennie said when the name change proposal was announced, peer lawyers had predicted the case had the potential for ‘‘several years of litigation’’.

‘‘Their view was, it didn’t matter what you thought about the university’s proposals, [and] that was highly destructive, damaging and economically wasteful. That’s where this petition came from.’’

The petition was signed by many senior lawyers and retired judges, he said.

The name of each university in New Zealand is set out in each university’s statute, and can be changed via an amending bill.

It has been used only once, in 1966, when Massey University dropped Manawatu from its name.

Rennie interpreted the Education Act under section 162 for the committee, outlining the complexities of name changes. He said the minister’s decision couldn’t make the change without legislation being passed.

Even if Hipkins approved the change and a Gazette notice was made, an act would also be required and could even reverse the notice.

After the meeting Willis said Parliament would be reluctant to pass an amendment act without student support.

Before the university council voted for the name change, 75 per cent of 2000 people voted against it. The largest opponents were students, followed by alumni.