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.

You can read Matthew’s thesis here:
https://hdl.handle.net/2292/7253

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David Cohen is a Wellington writer and the author of eight books. In 2025 he released his political biography, Jacinda: The Untold Stories, co-authored by Rebecca Keillor, in November 2025.

After Jacinda turned down Cohen's request to interview her for the book, he decided to create a platform for the voices that haven't been heard. Drawing on more than 100 interviews and extensive research, David and co-author, Rebecca Keillor track the rise, fall and re-emergence of former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern onto the global stage.

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Stephen Rowe is full-stack digital strategist by profession, innovator by passion, and a storyteller at heart.

With over a decade of experience under his belt, he has mastered the art of bridging and blending cutting-edge technology with human connection.

After graduating in 2015, he left Montana to join Charlie Kirk’s newly founded organization, Turning Point USA, at its headquarters in the Chicago area.

Within a month, he was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of Hypeline News, a new digital platform that served as the early foundation of Turning Point USA’s influencer program.

In just one year, he scaled the site from startup to over 12.8 million page views and millions more across social media. By September 2016, the newsroom had over 200 contributors nationwide.

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*correction - Stephen Rowe hosted in New Zealand by the The Taxpayers' Union, not the Free Speech Union as stated in the interview.

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Helen Janeith Joyce is an Irish journalist and gender critical activist. She studied as a mathematician and worked in academia before becoming a journalist.

Joyce began working for The Economist as education correspondent for its Britain section in 2005 and has since held several senior positions, including finance editor and international editor. She published her book Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality in 2021.

In April 2022, Joyce took a leave of absence from The Economist to become the director of advocacy for Sex Matters. She wrote an opinion piece for the Guardian arguing that gender identity change efforts should not be included in a bill banning conversion therapy.

Recently Joyce visited New Zealand as a speaker invited by New Zealand Free Speech Union and The New Zealand Women's Rights Party.

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Bariz Shah, originally from Afghanistan, grew up in New Zealand in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, grappling with a sense of identity shaped by the tension between his cultural roots and his new environment.

At age 18, Bariz ended up in an Auckland prison. He spiralled from schoolyard fights into crime and drugs - until prison made him rethink the story of his life.

Years later, in Christchurch, Bariz had turned everything around when a terrorist walked into the local mosque and took the lives of 51 people in his community. Driven by a new purpose, Bariz and his wife Saba raised money to return to Afghanistan and establish 51 small businesses in honour of those they lost.

In his memoir, Beyond Hope, he deals with finding self-belief, belonging and positive change.

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Dr James Kierstead is a Research Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative focusing on higher education policy, including academic freedom.

James holds a BA in Classics from Oxford, an MA in Ancient History from the University of London, an MA in Political Science from Stanford and a PhD in Classics from Stanford.

He is also the co-host, along with Michael Johnston, of Free Kiwis!, a podcast dedicated to discussing free speech in a New Zealand context.

In his recent report, Amazing Grades, Kierstead shows that Grade Inflation at New Zealand Universities is a problem. 

Between 2006 and 2024, the percentage of A grades (A+, A, A-) grew by 13 percentage points, from 22% of all grades to 35%. A grades spiked during COVID, with almost half (49%) of grades awarded at the University of Auckland in 2020 in the A range. 

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One of New Zealand's most recognisable faces, Mike McRoberts was the TV anchor of the six o'clock news bulletin on Newshub for over two decades.

Damien Grant interviews Mike McRoberts about his book, Speaking My Language. For much of his life, Mike felt burdened by not knowing his own language - te reo Maori. Growing up at a time when te reo was scarcely spoken in daily conversations, and within a mixed-race family with little connection to Maoritanga, his experience mirrored that of many other New Zealanders.

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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.

According to Hartwich, "...more than half of New Zealanders think the country is going in the wrong direction. Trust in Parliament, the courts and the Reserve Bank has fallen sharply since 2021. What is broken?"

"The answer lies in the foundations we rarely notice. Prosperity rests on an invisible architecture. We notice air only when it is hard to breathe. We see institutions only when they fail." Tune in as controversial writer and podcast host, Damien Grant, interviews a wide selection of interesting and entertaining individuals, authors, business people, politicians and anyone else actually willing to talk to him. For more interviews visit: https://www.differentmatters.co.nz/