Your support has helped get the message that there isn't public support for changing Victoria University of Wellington's name heard on the ninth floor of the Beehive.

In her weekly post-Cabinet press conference Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was asked whether she was comfortable in Education Minister Chris Hipkins signing off on a name change to Victoria University "given the amount of public disapproval."

You can view the full clip here (it's about three quarters of the way through): https://www.facebook.com/NZLabourParty/videos/848191728717784/

While the Prime Minister obviously didn't express a view about the name change, she did say the issue had been brought to her attention and she knows people feel very strongly about it. The Prime Minister also said she was confident that Minister Hipkins would be factoring in the views of past and present members of the university's community.

I'm also advised that despite having unanimously supported the draft decision to change the name, members of the University Council are starting to reconsider their support in light of the issues raised during the submission process about the business case, poor consultation, and lack of demonstrable public support.

With less than a week to go before the University Council meets to decide whether to put a recommendation to Minister Hipkins on changing the name or not it's crucial to keep sharing the petition and getting as many signatures as we can to reinforce the message that this change simply does not have support.