Programme
The full detailed programme, including times, will be released shortly.
In the meantime, we are delighted to share a preview of the topics and themes that will be covered during the event.
Superannuation and the Silver Tsunami: can our system keep up?
Superannuation and the Silver Tsunami: can our system keep up?
When the silver tsunami hits a small economy, even small policy tweaks have generational consequences. An ageing population and longer life expectancy are reshaping the future of retirement in Aotearoa. With fewer workers supporting more retirees, the pressure is mounting. Can our superannuation system remain fair, affordable, and fit for purpose? Is it time to raise the age, means-test entitlements, or are we buying into a false narrative?
In this session the experts will unpack the numbers, challenge assumptions, and debate whether reform is urgent or unnecessary.
The Demographic Tipping Point: Unconstrained Immigration – What’s the Alternative?
New Zealand has declining fertility rates and population growth is heavily driven by immigration. This is a worldwide trend. A 2023 United nations study predicts more than 22 developed countries will see a halving of their population by 2100. Every migration decision that we make as a small country reshapes New Zealand forever – how do we grow without losing who we are?
Is unconstrained immigration the only option and what are the implications for society, the economy, and public policy?
Social Investment: A generational shift or reckless profiling?
Social investment aims to use data and early intervention to improve long-term outcomes - but is it genuinely helping people, or just labelling them early? Supporters say it’s a smarter, more targeted way to spend public money. Critics argue it risks reducing people to statistics.
This session explores whether social investment is a bold step forward or a model that needs rethinking.
MMP and Social Cohesion: Are we getting the balance right?
In a small democracy our divisions costs us more – can our voting system still hold us together?
MMP was meant to make our democracy fairer but has it made it harder to govern and brought us further apart?
This session looks at how our voting system affects political unity, representation, and the way we work together as a country. Is MMP still the right fit for Aotearoa, or does something need to change?
The Business of Meth: Who Profits, Who Pays? - Is there a bold approach that will actually make a difference?
The Business of Meth: Who Profits, Who Pays? - Is there a bold approach that will actually make a difference?
Methamphetamine is more than a crime problem – it is an economic time bomb in a small economy. Meth continues to cause deep harm across New Zealand - stretching public services, devastating families, and fuelling organised crime. While some reap the profits, others are left to carry the cost.
This session asks: who really pays the price, and what can be done to change the outcome?
Trade vs Security: Does trade trump security – America or China, can we have both?
New Zealand’s economic success hinges on strong trade with China, but its security ties lie with the U.S. When giants lock horns, small nations can make history with every trade decision. As global tensions rise, can we stay neutral - or will we be forced to choose?
This session tackles the uneasy balance between prosperity and principle in an era of geopolitical pressure.
AI: Is AI the Productivity Fix NZ Has Been Waiting For?
Artificial Intelligence promises to boost productivity, cut costs, and transform how we work - but is it the solution to New Zealand’s long-standing productivity challenge? As global competitors move fast, can we harness AI’s potential without leaving workers, ethics, or industries behind? Can AI finally lift New Zealand’s productivity ceiling?
In this session we will explore whether AI will bring a productivity breakthrough, or will it simply cause new and bigger problems?
Mental Health & Social Media: Moral Panic or Real Problem?
Mental Health & Social Media: Moral Panic or Real Problem?
Social media is woven into the fabric of modern life—and so are the arguments about its impact on mental health. Some warn of a ticking time bomb, with rising anxiety, depression, and social disconnection, especially among the young. Others see these claims as overblown, pointing to mixed evidence, untold benefits, and a long history of fearing new technologies.
So which is it: an urgent crisis demanding decisive action, or a cultural panic in search of a villain? For New Zealand, the question is whether to move early to protect wellbeing—or to avoid overreach while the full picture emerges.
This session invites the evidence, the lived experience, and the hard questions that sit between the extremes.
In the eye of the storm: The state of the world economy and New Zealand's Macroeconomic Choices
The global economy is
going through big changes—from the tariff wars and the return of mercantilism,
through to rising prices and ever more international conflicts In a global storm, small economies often capsize
first – are we ready?
What can we do to prosper as the rules of engagement
change around us? Is a generational shift happening or will there be an
economic swing back to normality.? For a
small economy such as New Zealand, understanding of the world isn’t optional – it
is survival.
In the eye of the storm: The state of the world economy and New Zealand's Macroeconomic Choices
The global economy is going through big changes—from the tariff wars and the return of mercantilism, through to rising prices and ever more international conflicts In a global storm, small economies often capsize first – are we ready?
What can we do to prosper as the rules of engagement change around us? Is a generational shift happening or will there be an economic swing back to normality.? For a small economy such as New Zealand, understanding of the world isn’t optional – it is survival.
The next big shock: Disaster, disease, disruption – what choices will we make?
The next big shock: Disaster, disease, disruption – what choices will we make?
Global crises don’t ask if you’re ready – how does a small country prepare for the unthinkable? In an increasingly unpredictable world, crises such as natural disasters, pandemics, and social upheaval can strike with little warning. When these shocks occur, policymakers face tough choices: should the focus be on safeguarding the economy or prioritizing people’s wellbeing?
This session explores the delicate balance between economic stability and human impact, asking how New Zealand can lean on recent lessons learnt to prepare and respond effectively to future shocks.
Public vs Private: Health and the Infrastructure of Care
Public vs Private: Health and the Infrastructure of Care
New Zealand’s health system is under pressure - ageing populations, workforce shortages, rising costs, and infrastructure gaps from hospitals to digital systems. The balance between public and private provision has become critical.
Should we double down on public investment to guarantee universal access, or lean more on private funding and delivery to relieve pressure and accelerate development?
This session explores how health and infrastructure can be sustained in the decades ahead - asking what mix of public and private investment will deliver resilience, fairness, and efficiency for Aotearoa.
From Credits to Capabilities: Rethinking NCEA for the Future
From Credits to Capabilities: Rethinking NCEA for the Future
The new NCEA changes promise stronger literacy and numeracy, greater equity, and a system more clearly aligned to the skills students need for the future. Critics will ask whether these reforms will truly lift outcomes or simply create a new set of problems.
At stake is whether New Zealand is building an education system that prepares young people to thrive globally or are we gambling with our students’ futures in the name of reform.