Looking back and looking forward: New Zealand in 2025

Join us for a year-end webinar discussion with the Foundation's Honorary Senior Fellows as they reflect on the pressing challenges confronting New Zealand in 2025 and the progress we are (or are not) making in response. By popular demand, this webinar will have an extended Q+A session so our members can put questions to Jonathan, Lucy, Paula and Stephen on a wide range of public policy issues.

The speakers

Stephen Jacobi

Stephen currently serves as New Zealand Director for the Australia-New Zealand Leadership Forum which brings together business and government to create greater prosperity, security and sustainability for both countries.

A former diplomat and trade official, Stephen has served in various capacities including stints leading both NZ US and NZ China Councils as well as the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). Stephen serves as Managing Director of Jacobi Consulting Ltd and has recently stepped down as Executive Director of the New Zealand International Business Forum. He is a frequent media and public commentator on industry, trade and international issues.

Lucy Cassels

Lucy is an experienced global health policy specialist, researcher and former career diplomat. She has held a diverse range of roles at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Ministry of Health, focused on multilateral negotiations and global health diplomacy, as well as aid and development in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. She was most recently Deputy Secretary for Policy & Strategy at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, concentrating on critical issues affecting Pacific communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. In her research and consultancy work, Lucy is particularly interested in the intersection of environmental and health challenges, especially as they pertain to climate change in our region.

Paula Southgate

Paula Southgate has served in local government for more than two decades, providing leadership at both regional and city levels. Following postgraduate studies at the University of Waikato, Paula began her career in counselling and teaching before being elected to the Waikato Regional Council in 2001. Over the next 24 years, she held a range of senior governance roles, including Chair of the Environment Committee and Chair of the Policy and Strategy Committee. As a trained Ministry for the Environment Commissioner, she chaired numerous plan changes and resource consent hearings. In 2013, she was elected Chair of the Waikato Regional Council.

In 2016, Paula was elected Mayor of Hamilton. During her mayoralty, she held several national leadership positions, including Chair of the Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA), Chair of the Metro Sector, and membership of the National Council of Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ). She was also appointed to several government and LGNZ advisory groups, contributing to policy development on transport, the Resource Management Act, visitor levies, and local government reform.

Professor Jonathan Boston ONZM

Jonathan is an Emeritus Professor of Public Policy in the School of Government at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington. His research interests include: climate change policy (both mitigation and adaptation); child poverty; governance (especially anticipatory governance); public management; tertiary education funding (especially research funding); and welfare state design. Jonathan has has served at various times as the Director of the Institute of Policy Studies and the Director of the Institute for Governance and Policy Studies at Victoria University of Wellington. He has also served in an expert advisory capacity to various public sector organisations.

Jonathan has published widely on a range of matters including public management, social policy, climate change policy, tertiary education policy, and comparative government. He has served on the boards of a number of organisations including Oxfam NZ.