In December 2018 , Hipkins rejected a recommendation by Victoria University of Wellington 's Council to rename the university " University of Wellington " , citing the strong opposition to the name change from staff , students , and alumni . In justifying his decision , Hipkins stated " that he was not convinced the university had sufficiently engaged with stakeholders , who should have their views considered . " In February 2019 , Hipkins proposed merging the country 's polytechnics into a " NZ Institute of Skills and Technology " to counter deficits and declining domestic enrollments . This proposed Institute of Skills and Technology will also take over the country 's vocational and apprenticeship programmes . While the Tertiary Education Union , Employers and Manufacturers Union , and the Canterbury Employers ' Chamber of Commerce have expressed support for the Government 's proposal , this has been criticised by the opposition National Party , Southern Institute of Technology CEO Penny Simmonds , and Mayor of Invercargill Tim Shadbolt . In response to the Christchurch mosque shootings , Hipkins extended the polytechnic submission timeframe to 5 April 2019
Christchurch mosque shootings
Christchurch mosque shootings
Chris Hipkins