Pānui August 2026
We are gaining momentum for future generations
Kia ora,
Our expanded team has had a busy month in August. We've been attending various events across the motu to share our vision for a better economy for Aotearoa’s future.
Last week we had a big win, with polling results showing overwhelming support for the very idea of intergenerational responsibility in decision-making that we are advocating for.
We held a great event at Parliament with a cross-party group of MPs and supporters. We shared the strong response to our discussion document published last year, which drew hundreds of responses and engaged many new people in the conversation. The campaign is receiving media attention; I did a rewarding interview with Radio New Zealand, and one of the rangatahi leadership group, Jahvaya Wheki, spoke with Radio Waatea in an engaging discussion.
We've made promising progress with support from across the political spectrum, former Prime Ministers Jim Bolger and Sir Geoffrey Palmer, as well as from many of the youngest MPs in Parliament. Our rangatahi-led movement Tomorrow Together is gaining momentum, with a resounding call for long-term thinking!
Later this month, we are partnering with the Australia New Zealand Society for Ecological Economics at their biennial conference, Regenerative Futures, Imagining Alternatives, Transforming Systems. The conference features an incredible list of keynote speakers we are excited to hear from and collaborate with as we redesign our economy.
Our generous and engaged members enable us to do all of this important mahi. If you aren’t already, please consider becoming a member today. We are a fast-growing movement of young and old New Zealanders passionate about positive economic change, and it is an exciting time to join the groundswell.
Ngā manaakitanga,
Gareth and the WEAll Aotearoa team
Events this month
How to be a Good Ancestor by Dr. Ganesh Ahirao
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
6 pm - 7:30 pm
What if we restructure the economy of Aotearoa, to put people first? What if the goal was to be a good ancestor?
Tuesday, 1 September 2026
7 pm - 8 pm
A free one-hour webinar that introduces the history, ideas and strategies of the Wellbeing Economy and how you can get involved.
Funding our Future: Better Taxes for a Better Future
Tauranga, 3 September 2026
Hamilton, 5 September 2026
Dunedin, 1 October 2026
Workshops to build practical advocacy skills for a better tax system in Aotearoa.
WEAll Chat Rotorua
Wednesday, 16 September 2026
5.30 pm - 7.30 pm
Casual drinks for our Rotorua community, looking forward to connecting with this part of Aotearoa.
Wellbeing Economy Book Club: The Common Good Economy by Mariana Mazzucato
Tuesday, 22 September 2026
7 pm - 8 pm
World-leading economist Mariana Mazzucato envisions a new economy. Join us next month to talk this timely new release.
Community Impact Tāmaki Makaurau
Monday, 14 September 2026
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Gareth is a keynote speaker at this event discussing how a wellbeing economy can strengthen diverse communities.
ANZSEE 2026 Biennial Conference
30 September - 3 October 2026
Including an impressive list of keynote speakers who are leaders in the field. Register now for early-bird discounts.
Recommendations
Read this new report on the impact of privatisation in Aotearoa. Public Futures Aotearoa makes the case for public ownership in the 21st century to save money, protect our workers and delivers better services and assets.
Watch a hilarious piece of investigative journalism by comedian Guy Williams, who is forced to take on the unfolding crisis in New Zealand’s water supply as he stumbles into Waimate, a town at the centre of it all.
Listen to our very own Sally Hett discuss what we measure and the future economy with the Seeds podcast hosted by Steven Moe.
Wellbeing economy news
The first new marine reserves in Aotearoa in over a decade. The 307 km² network of Otago’s coastal marine area has been named Te Au Roa o Te Rakihouia in a partnership with Kāi Tahu and DoC. “We must build on this momentum and work towards protecting at least 30% of our ocean in well-managed, Treaty-consistent protected areas.”
Brian Easton on the Fetishism of GDP. A compelling piece questioning whether people are too focused on material consumption at the expense of wellbeing. “More fundamentally, we need to abandon the GDP fetishism of equating material consumption, as measured by per capita GDP, with wellbeing.”
Citizens' assemblies could be the answer to system change. Deliberative democracy offers a way to engage citizens who broadly support transformative policies. “Two in three people across G20 countries surveyed (68%) agree that the way the economy works should prioritise the sustainable and inclusive wellbeing of people and the rest of nature, rather than focusing solely on profit, increasing wealth, and GDP growth.”
Quote of the month
“Moving beyond gross domestic product is about measuring the things that really matter to people and their communities. GDP tells us the cost of everything, and the value of nothing. Our world is not a gigantic corporation. Financial decisions should be based on more than a snapshot of profit and loss.”
– António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations