Sir Michael Cullen contributed significantly to New Zealand society and will be greatly missed, says BusinessNZ Chief Executive Kirk Hope.

"Sir Michael was a strong hand at the wheel as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, who always sought to put New Zealand’s interests first as demonstrated through legacy policies such as KiwiSaver and the NZ Super Fund.

"He continued with his commitment to public service after Parliament with a number of roles including chairing the Tax Working Group, a job that in my experience he did with fairness and intelligence and which helped bring improvements to our tax system," Mr Hope said.

"Sir Michael will be remembered with gratitude and respect, and the thoughts of the Business NZ Network are with Sir Michaels family on this sad day."

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