The Panel

OUR PANELLISTS:

Alan McElroy - Comedian, MC actor and writer, Crack Up Supreme Quiz Leader @Al_McElroy

Alexia Russell - Journalist and producer on The Detail   @AlexiaRussell3

Ali Jones - member of the Papanui Innes community board in Christchurch, public relations consultant @AliJones2

Ali Mau - Stuff journalist and broadcaster @Alisonmau

Allan Blackman - Professor of chemistry at AUT @Prof_Al_

Amanda Millar - journalist and documentarian

Andrew Clay - comedian and writer

Andrew Frame - Napier-based columnist @NapierinFrame

Andrew Hoggard - Federated Farmers National President @andrew_hoggard

Anton Matthews - Christchurch restaurateur who runs te reo Māori classes

Beck Eleven - Christchurch columnist, unashamed cat lady and a researcher for kids' TV show, Fanimals @beckeleven

Ben Thomas - PR specialist and former National Party parliamentary staffer @BenThomasNZ

Bernard Hickey - economic journalist and managing editor of Newsroom Pro @bernardchickey

Bill Ralston - broadcaster, former political journalist and co-founder of media training organisation Deadline Ltd

Caroline Daley - Associate Professor of History and Dean of Graduate Studies at Auckland University

Catherine Robertson - novelist, reviewer and Writer in Residence at Victoria University @CJRauthor

Chester Borrows - former National Party MP and head of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group @ChesterBorrows

Chris Clarke - former World Vision CEO, now executive director of Global Local

Chris Finlayson - former Attorney General and National Party Minister

Dr Chris Gallavin - Professor of Law and Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor at Massey University's College of Humanities & Social Sciences. Poet and social commentator @ChrisGallavin

Chris Orr - Access and Awareness Advisor Blind and Low Vision NZ @BlindLowVision

Chamanthie Sinhalage-Fonseka - Director of Corporate Affairs at Wellington Urban Consulting 

Chris Wikaira - Director at Busby Ramshaw Grice specialist in Māori communication, media and political advice and analysis @chris_wikaira

Cindy Mitchener - Ex CEO of eVentures, former TV and Marketing executive now running her own specialist Executive Search Business @cindymitchener

Dr Claire Matthews - banking expert and director of academic programmes at Massey University

Claire Robinson - Professor of Communication Design at Massey University @Spinprofessor

Clare de Lore - columnist and former political reporter and chairman of the Press Gallery @ClaredeLore

Conor English - Chairman Agribusiness New Zealand and former CEO of Federated Farmers

Dame Diane Robertson - Former Auckland City Missioner

Damian Christie - journalist and director of Aotearoa Science Agency @damianchristie

David Cormack - Managing Partner at The Draper Cormack Group, columnist for the NZ Herald and former comms manager for the Green Party @David_Cormack

David Farrar - pollster for the National Party, editor of Kiwblog. You can read his disclosure statement here @dpfdpf

David Slack - Columnist, speechwriter and author @DavidSlack

Dean Hall - New Zealand video game designer and CEO of RocketWerkz  @rocket2guns

Duane Major - Pastor South West Baptist Church and Awaroa beach campaigner

Dr Ella Henry - AUT senior lecturer in Māori Media, Co-operative Education, Māori Business @henry_ella

Eli Matthewson - Comedian and writer @EliMatthewson

Emma Espiner - social commentator and medical student @emmawehipeihana

Fatumata Bah - Commonwealth young leader and women and culture advocate

Fete Taito - former gang member, former prison inmate, recent BA graduate UoA (dbl major) Sociology/Māori @FeteTaito

Ganesh Nana - Economist and director at BERL @BERLEconomics

Garry Moore - Former Christchurch Mayor and South Island enthusiast

Gary McCormick - poet, radio presenter

Golnaz Bassam-Tabar - former journalist and founder of Authority PR @Malaaeka

Greg Brownless - Former Mayor of Tauranga and trustee of the Legacy Charitable Trust 

Guy Williams - comedian, columnist, television and radio host. @guywilliamsguy

Heather Roy - business consultant and former ACT Party MP @HeatherRoyNZ

Jacqueline Nairn - actor and director @JacquelineNairn

James Elliott - lawyer and writer @JamesElliott8

James Nokise - comedian and playwright @JamesNokise

Janet Wilson - journalist and co-founder of media training organisation Deadline Ltd @bespokemedia

Jennie Moreton - financial advisor with Craigs Investment Partners in Christchurch

Jeremy Elwood - comedian, actor, presenter and writer @JeremyElwood

Jeremy Hansen - journalist and architecture writer @_jeremyhansen

Jo McCarroll - editor of NZ Gardener magazine @NZGARDENER

Jock Anderson - former NBR editor and columnist @JockAnderson4

Joe Bennett - writer and humorist

Jordan Carter - Chief Executive of Internet NZ and former Labour party candidate for Parliament @jordantcarter

Julia Hartley Moore - private investigator and director of Arbeth & Co  @JuliaHartleyM

Julia Whaipooti - Justice Advocate, Member of the Safe and Effective Justice Advisory Group and Advisor to JustSpeak. @Jubes11

Kathryn Burnett - screenwriter, playwright and writing coach @KBurnettdotcom

Kevin Milne - journalist and former Fair Go presenter @kjmilnenz

Dr Karlo Mila - Pasifika writer, poet, researcher, mother and Programme Director of the Mana Moana Experience @karlo_mila

Laila Harré - former minister and trade unionist @lailaharre

Laura O'Connell Rapira - director of campaigns at ActionStation @laura_oc_rapira

Lavina Good - Co Founder Re-Maker Space in Tauranga, and Sports Journalist

Liam Hehir - Business lawyer @PronouncedHare

Lisa Scott - Author and columnist

Livia Esterhazy - business leader and CEO of WWF- New Zealand, @liviaesterhazy

Lizzie Marvelly - singer/songwriter, editor of Villainesse, columnist @LizzieMarvelly

Lynda Hallinan - Former editor of NZ Gardener magazine, author and gardening columnist @lyndahallinan

Mai Chen - managing partner of Chen Palmer, specialist public law firm @maichennz

Mauricio Olmedo-Perez Journalist and broadcaster

Mark Knoff-Thomas - chief executive of Newmarket Business Association @markknoffthomas

Mark Sainsbury - broadcaster, former political editor, MC and writer @SAINSO

Martin Cocker - CEO of Netsafe @NetSafeMartin

Maryan Street - former Labour MP @MaryanStreetNZ

Matt Nippert - investigative journalist @MattNippert

Max Ritchie - former Executive Director of the Neurological Foundation

Michael Moynahan - Chair of Creative New Zealand, the Chair of the Beach Heads Advisory panel for NZ Trade and Enterprise and former CEO of Harper Collins

Michele A'Court - comedian, actor, presenter and writer @MicheleACourt

Mihingarangi Forbes - journalist for The Hui @Mihi_Forbes

Mike Rehu - Sports and Media Commentator @mikerehu

Mike Williams - former Labour Party president, company director and CEO of the Howard League for Penal Reform

Miriama Aoake - writer, student and critic

Morgan Godfery - political writer and author @MorganGodfery

Nadine Higgins - journalist and columnist @NewsNadine

Nalini Baruch - founder of Lot Eight and winner of Pacific Woman in Business 2016 @NaliniBaruch

Neil Miller - beer writer, analyst for the Taxpayers Union; former political speechwriter and former researcher for the National Party  @beerlytweeting

Nevil Gibson - Business correspondent

Nick Leggett - former Mayor of Porirua and CEO of Road Transport Forum @nickoleggett

Nicky Pellegrino - Novelist, freelance journalist and columnist @nickypellegrino

Niki Bezzant - Food and nutrition writer and speaker @nikibezzant

Pattrick Smellie - Co-owner of BusinessDesk and a director of The Hugo Group

Paula Penfold - investigative journalist at Stuff Circuit @paulapenfold

Penny Ashton - comedian, actor and marriage celebrant @pennypink

Peter Dunne - Former cabinet minister and former leader of United Future @honpeterdunne

Peter Elliott - actor and presenter

Peter Fa'afiu - Management consultant and governance director @TiumaluPeter

Peter McKenzie - co-founder of Active Citizenship Aotearoa @PeterTMcKenzie

Peter Vial - NZ country head at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Phil Taylor - Lawyer, Corporate Partner at Tompkins Wake and deputy chair of the board of Sport Waikato

Rajorshi Chakraborti - Indian-born novelist, essayist and short story writer now residing in Wellington @rajorshiNZ

Raybon Kan - Comedian and author of “An Asian at my Table”  @RaybonKan

Rebekah White - Editor of NZ Geographic @RebekahWh

Richard Langston - journalist, currently with Country Calendar @richlangston2

Rodney Hide - former cabinet minister and former Act Party leader @rodneyhide

Russell Brown - journalist and owner of the Public Address @publicaddress

Ruth Money - victim advocate @RMoneynz

Ruwani Perera - journalist for the Hui @ruwanijourno

Sally Wenley - freelance journalist

Sanjay Kumarasingham - chair of Committee for Auckland's Growth Leadership panel and environmental engineer

Scott Campbell - director of Campbell Squared public relations company in Tauranga and former political reporter for TV3 @SC_C2Comms

Selwyn Manning - founder of the Evening Report and Multimedia Investments Ltd @Selwyn_Manning

Shane Te Pou - Former Executive Member of The Labour Party; Director at Mega @PouTepou

Simon Pound - Ingrid Starnes co-founder and business podcaster and consultant @simon_pound

Simon Wilson - senior writer at the NZ Herald @simonbwilson

Stephen Franks - public and commercial lawyer with Franks Ogilvie. Former chairman and Partner of Chapman Tripp, former ACT Party MP @franks_lawyer

Stephen Jacobi  Executive Director - NZ International Business Forum @StephenJacobi

Steve McCabe - a lecturer at MIT @stevedownunder

Sue Bradford - activist and former Green MP @suebr

Sue Kedgley - former Green Party MP, Board member for Consumer NZ and Capital, Coast District Health Board @suekedgley

Susan Hornsby-Geluk - lawyer at Dundas Street employment lawyers

Tayyaba Khan - founder of the Khadija Leadership Network

Thomas Pyror - former National Party parliamentary staffer and Associate Director at Sherson Willis @thomdpryor

Tim Watkin - founder of the political blog site, Pundit. Executive Producer of Podcasts & Series at RNZ @Tim_Watkin

Tracey Barnett - Journalist and commentator @TraceyBarnett

Verity Johnson - commentator and columnist

Victoria Stewart - founding partner of Simmonds Stewart @VicSStewart

Wendyl Nissen - broadcaster, journalist and author