Grant Robertson

Grant Murray Robertson (born 30 October 1971) is a retired New Zealand politician and member of the Labour Party who served as the Minister of Finance from 2017 to 2023, as Minister of Foreign Affairs in November 2023, and as the 19th Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2020 to 2023.

He was the member of Parliament (MP) for from to.

Robertson maintained and competed for several leadership positions during the party's stint in opposition following the end of the Fifth Labour Government.

His honours dissertation studied the restructuring of the New Zealand University Students' Association in the 1980s.

His father, Douglas Robertson, was an accountant and presbyterian lay-preacher, who was imprisoned in 1991 for stealing around $120,000 from the law firm he worked for.

His grandfather Bob Wilkie ran unsuccessfully for Labour in the Wairarapa electorate in and.

Robertson had a paper round as a boy and at 16 he got his first job at a New World supermarket in Dunedin in the fruit and vegetable department preparing fruit and vegetables for display and sale.

Robertson attended King's High School in Dunedin, where he was head boy.

Robertson served as President of the Otago University Students' Association in 1993 and as co-president of the New Zealand University Students' Association in 1996.

Robertson was interested in politics from a young age.

In 2021, North & South described him, at age 10, as having "memorised every major candidate and their electorate in the 1981 general election."

Robertson viewed former prime minister David Lange—"an overweight guy with glasses"—as an early political inspiration.

He then studied political studies at the University of Otago, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with honours in 1995.

Robertson joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) in 1997 after leaving university.

His overseas postings included the United Nations in New York.

Robertson also managed the NZ Overseas Aid Programme to Samoa – a $7.7 million fund with projects in diverse areas such as basic education, healthcare, public sector capacity building, small business development and the empowerment of women.

He left MFAT in 2001.

Robertson returned to New Zealand during the first term of the Fifth Labour Government to work as a ministerial advisor to minister for the environment Marian Hobbs and, later, prime minister Helen Clark.

His role in Clark`s office included liaising with the smaller parties supporting the government.

He also had a role in designing Labour's interest-free student loans policy, which was credited with winning the election for Labour.

Robertson's influence reportedly resulted in him having the nickname "H3", with "H1" and "H2" being Clark and her chief of staff Heather Simpson respectively.

After the 2005 election, Robertson left the Prime Minister's office to work as a senior research marketing manager for the University of Otago based at the Wellington School of Medicine.

In late 2006, the sitting Labour MP for Wellington Central Marian Hobbs announced that she would be retiring at the 2008 New Zealand general election.

Robertson was considered to be a front runner and was subsequently selected unopposed.

Robertson ran a well-staffed campaign, based on local issues like the closure of the Crossways Community Centre and threats to the Public Service.

He was also involved in the formation of a Wellington inner-city residents' association.

The Labour Party list for the 2008 general election ranked Robertson at number 46.

In the Wellington Central electorate, Robertson defeated National Party candidate Stephen Franks by 1,904 votes.

Helen Clark's government was defeated at the 2008 election.

Robertson was appointed as the opposition's spokesperson for state services, and associate spokesperson for arts, culture and heritage and foreign affairs by new Labour leader Phil Goff.

He was elected Labour's deputy leader in 2011 under leader David Shearer, and contested the leadership of the party in both 2013 and 2014.

Subsequently, Robertson was named the party's finance spokesperson and was ranked third on Labour's party list.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appointed him to the finance portfolio in the Sixth Labour Government.

As finance minister, Robertson has been prominent in the government's economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand.

Following the 2020 general election he was appointed the 19th Deputy Prime Minister by Prime Minister Ardern.

Robertson assumed the role on 6 November, becoming the first openly gay deputy prime minister.

Following the 2023 general election, Robertson announced that he would resign in March 2024 to assume the position of Vice-Chancellor of the University of Otago.

Robertson was born in Palmerston North, the youngest of three boys.

His Presbyterian family lived in Hastings before settling in South Dunedin.

His mother, Yvonne Wilkie, initially stayed at home before later becoming a teacher.