Season 4
We bring different perspectives to the table, but we’re united by a love for purposeful work, thoughtful design, and real connection.
Dr Matthew Hooton
Matthew Hooton is a respected centre-right commentator on New Zealand politics and its political economy, including as one of the best-read weekly columnists for the New Zealand Herald. He recently completed his PhD in Philosophy at the University of Auckland on the topic is “Groundwork & Principles of Applied Conservatism”.
His thesis is about conservatism in a general sense, drawing on conservatism in political philosophy, conservatism in ethics and metaethics, epistemic conservatism and ontological conservatism. The thesis is thus about how we can decide what to think, believe and do when we can never know with certainty what to think, believe or do.
Dr Oliver Hartwich
Oliver is the Executive Director of The New Zealand Initiative. Before joining the Initiative, he was a Research Fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney, the Chief Economist at the Policy Exchange in London, and an advisor in the UK House of Lords.
In this episode, Dr Hartwich and Damien discuss the Acceleration in decline of world order, risks to democracy, and the Dimise of the Liberal world order, which may or may not be attributed to Donald Trump.
Sarah McLaughlin
Sarah McLaughlin is Senior Scholar, Global Expression at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. She studies the relationship between authoritarianism, free nations, and global censorship. She recently published a book about transnational repression in higher education, titled Authoritarians in the Academy.
Her other writings have been featured in outlets including Foreign Policy, MSNBC, The Independent, The Daily Beast, Newsweek, New York Daily News, and l'Opinion. In this interview Serah and I discuss how tertiary institutions' engagement with China has impacted free speech.
Nevil Gibson
Freelance writer and editor Nevil Gibson has been a journalist since 1968, including in the positions of Managing Editor and Editor-in-Chief at the National Business Review, for which he now reviews books.
Following a review of Ron Brierly's book, The History of Brierley Investments Ltd, 1961- 2021, I interview him about the life and business of Ron Brierley.