Robertson farewelled with tears and ‘hope’
Grant Robertson signed off from Parliament yesterday with a speech full of tears, jokes, and a message of “hope”.
The former finance minister’s valedictory speech paid tribute to young Māori, the cleaners and drivers at Parliament, public servants, and the colleagues who he says inspired him during his political career.
Robertson cried as he thanked his mother, who sat opposite him, wiping away tears in the public gallery.
“Weaved through this speech has been my admiration for strong women,” Robertson said. “The strongest of them all is my Mum. It’s your values, your love, and your spirit that I have spent a lifetime trying to match. I am not sure what we will talk about each week without me being here, but at least we can both complain about the Government now.”
He thanked his partner, “darling Alf”. “You have always kept it real and kept me grounded. Having a partner who actively dislikes politics has a lot to be said for it. You have always supported me.”
The Gallery in Parliament was packed with former MPs and political staffers. Sir Geoffrey Palmer, Marian Hobbs, Maryan Street, David Clark, Clare Curran, Ibrahim Omer, Kris Faafoi, Andrew Little, Aupito William Sio, and Paul Eagle were watching on.
Robertson’s first tribute went to Hobbs. Sitting with her hands clasped between her knees with smile on her face, she received a nudge by Sir Geoffrey as Robertson described her as “a tower of strength to the Labour movement”.
Retelling the story of Dame Jacinda Ardern approaching him to be finance minister, Robertson said he told her he would only do it if he could have the sports portfolio, too.
He recalled the early days of the pandemic - including the decision to shut the border, early in 2020.
“I was in Jacinda’s electorate office with her. When the call ended, we looked at each other and recognised the enormity of what we had done. It felt very heavy. I tried to lighten the moment by noting that I knew when we went into coalition with New Zealand First our immigration policies might change, but I didn’t think it would go quite this far.
“Jacinda didn’t laugh.” Robertson spoke of being particularly proud of creating a Royal Commission of Inquiry into state care abuse.
He recalled, too, the final debate for the marriage equality bill, more than 10 years ago: “The speech I gave that night remains the one I am proudest of in this house.”
Robertson said he was particularly concerned “at the way our trans community have been the subject of increasing hatred, bigotry and lies as part of the on-going culture wars”.
He signed off quoting Harvey Milk - the gay US politician who was assassinated in 1978: “I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living, so you, and you and you, you’ve got to give them hope.
“That is our job in this place. It’s to give people hope.
“Hoatu he tumanako ki a rātou, you gotta give em hope.”
Robertson’s speech was not without shots at the Government - “I endorse [Labour leader Chris Hipkins’] view that you cannot be the dog that barks at every car.
“It can be tough if there is a convoy of stupidity going by, but it’s still the right strategy.”
There was a rare sign of politician unity between himself and Finance Minister Nicola Willis after the speech, who brought over an A3 printed version of Sharon Murdoch’s December cartoon printed in
for him to sign, referring to her slip up where she asked Robertson how big was his hole.
He was draped by Taieri MP Ingrid Leary in a Rwandan tribal blanket, which was gifted to her to honour the Scottish heritage of Otago. Leary was told it was to be handed from leader to leader “showing that the work is never done”.
The former finance minister’s last day will be today, before he takes a break ahead of starting in his new role as vice-chancellor at the University of Otago from July.