Conversations That Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take

The breakfast event is being held 7.00 – 9.00am on 24 March at Te Papa in Wellington and is a kōrero with Chlöe Swarbrick, MP for Auckland Central; Cameron Bagrie, Managing Director of Bagrie Economics; Stacey Morrison, (Te Arawa, Ngai Tahu), New Zealand celebrity, broadcaster and Māori language advocate based Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University’s School of Māori knowledge, and Professor Jan Thomas, Vice-Chancellor at Massey University.

The event is a prelude to the next podcast series, Conversations That Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take,  an initiative launched in 2019 by Massey University and continued in 2020 as a direct result of the impact COVID-19 had on the event industry. The popular podcast series explores issues critical to the success of Aotearoa moving ahead, with in-depth commentary from leading experts from business, industry and academia. 

The first season of the new podcast in 2020, hosted by Stacey Morrison, featured topics including equity versus equality, the cannabis referendum, misinformation, mātauranga Māori and mental health. Collectively, they have been listened to more than 21,000 times and the corresponding articles read more than 21,000 times, to date.

Massey University National Events and Sponsorship Manager Kelly Douglas said it was incredible to see the growth of the University’s inaugural podcast and multimedia series last year, and to be leading the way on solution-focused thinking for Aotearoa New Zealand.

“There is clearly a desire for trusted information, expert advice and analysis and it’s great to be able to bring this back to a live audience as we return to hosting events.

“Conversations That Count – Ngā Kōrero Whai Take is about showcasing some of Aotearoa’s smartest minds and biggest thinkers, and to help act as a catalyst for New Zealanders to continue the conversations that matter within their communities to help drive change.”

Speakers taking part in the expert panel this month (from top left, clockwise): Stacey Morrison, Cameron Bagrie, Chlöe Swarbrick and Professor Jan Thomas.

Event details:

7.00am to 9.00am, 24 March 2021, Amokura Gallery, Te Papa, Wellington

Tickets on sale now at Massey.ac.nz/conversations 

Speakers:

Chlöe Swarbrick 

• Chlöe is the MP for Auckland Central and is the youngest MP in Aotearoa for over 40 years. She entered parliament to show people that politicians can look a little different, sound a little different, do things a little differently, and to drive home the message that politicians work for people. Chlöe is the Green Party spokesperson on Mental Health, Sensible Drug Law Reform, Local Government, Arts Culture and Heritage, Small Business, Broadcasting and Youth.

Cameron Bagrie

• Cameron is the Managing Director of Bagrie Economics.  Prior to that he was Chief Economist at ANZ for 11.5 years. He also runs a couple of private businesses and sits on the board of Life Education and the Police Health Plan. 

Stacey Morrison, (Te Arawa, Ngai Tahu) 

• Stacey is a broadcaster and Māori language advocate based Te Pūtahi-a-Toi, Massey University’s School of Māori knowledge. She has a passion for advancing the outcomes for whānau, hapū and iwi and her work at Massey explores new pathways for whānau and community-centred learning.

Professor Jan Thomas

• Professor Jan Thomas is the Vice-Chancellor at Massey University, the second woman to hold the position. She holds a PhD in veterinary pathology and has worked as a senior executive at universities in Australia. Professor Thomas leads the university in ensuring Massey delivers high-quality, accessible learning to all New Zealanders, and cutting-edge research that helps us tackle our wicked problems.