The Department of Conversation with Pat Brittenden

Gareth Hughes is a former MP and member of the Green Party. He took a seat in Parliament as the next person on the Green party list following the retirement of Jeanette Fitzsimons in February 2010.

Hughes did not stand for re-election in the 2020 New Zealand general election and has moved with his wife Meghan and two children, Arlo and Zoe, to be the keepers on Quarantine Island. An eco-sanctuary in the middle of Otago Harbour.

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Olly Ohlson is a pioneer of Māori language and Māori content on local television. As longtime presenter on daily children's show After School, his catchphrase "Keep cool till after school" (with accompanying sign language) was known to a generation of New Zealanders.

Away from broadcasting, Ohlson has had a long career in teaching te reo and Tikanga Māori. He has been visiting prisons since the 1960s, and later created Mauri Hauora, a programme designed to use indigenous teachings to bring positive change for Māori prisoners. Ohlson has also worked as a counsellor, specialising in Māori clients, with the Family Court.

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Siouxsie Wiles is a microbiologist and science communicator. Her specialist areas are infectious diseases and bioluminescence.

She is the head of University of Auckland's Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab in which bioluminescence is used to advance the understanding of microbial infections such as food poisoning, tuberculosis and hospital superbugs.

Wiles is also an active science communicator appearing regularly in New Zealand's media and raising awareness of the high rates of infectious diseases in New Zealand as well as the problem of antibiotic resistance.

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#DOCShorts Prof. Robert Patman, broadcaster Damian Newell and Pat Brittenden chat NZ Election results

Political studies professor Robert Patman, broadcaster and local body politicians Damian Newell and Pat Brittenden chat over the results from the previous nights New Zealand election.

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Dr Janine Winter is a University of Otago bioethics researcher and palliative care physician.

In 2018 Dr Winters made a submission to David Seymour's 'End of Life Choice Bill' where she stated it was "terrible" with "terminal flaws".

We thought with the referendum on euthanasia now upon us, it would be good to re-visit with Dr Winters to see where she sits today, and what has happened to the legislation over the last 2 years.

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The NZ Medical Association recently made public that they do not support a 'yes' vote on the upcoming cannabis referendum. Many members of the NZMA were not happy with their public statement in fact, one doctor, Dr Nina Sawicki, said she has quit the Medical Association because of its stance.

She said the NZMA is not representative of the entire medical workforce in this country, and that many doctors have opposing views.

Since their original statement the NZMA have walked back their position slightly, but we're hoping Dr Sawicki can bring further light to this conversation.

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Ocean Conservation Namibia (OCN) is a non-governmental organisation recently created in Walvis Bay, Namibia, with the primary objective to put an end to the entanglement of marine wildlife along the Namibian coast. Our modus operandi combines investigation, direct action and education in order to maximise our impact on this issue.

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Marama Davidson MP is a New Zealand politician who entered New Zealand parliament in 2015 as a representative of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand, Since 2018 Marama has also been female co-leader of the Green Party.

Also in studio is Jan Logie MP, Green Party MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Justice.

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After a stint at teaching at Depauw University in Indiana Iranian born, German raised, Dr Mahdis Azarmandi is now back in New Zealand teaching in the College of Education, Health and Human Development at the University of Canterbury.

University of Otago alum, Dr Azarmandi's Doctoral thesis looked at anti-racism and colonial amnesia in Aotearoa New Zealand and Spain. Her research interests are racialization and anti-racism, feminism, queer theory, colonization & decolonization.

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Born and raised in New Zealand, Akina graduated from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts with a Bachelor of Performing Arts via Music Theatre.

In her graduating year, Akina was cast in the Australian tour of Buddy Holly the Musical.

For the following ten years, Akina continued her work in the Australian Music Theatre industry and went on to join the casts of major musical productions including Avenue Q, Hairspray, An Officer and a Gentleman, The Lion King, Sister Act the Musical, where she played the starring role of Deloris van Cartier.

In 2019 Akina successfully got two chairs to turn, and spent several weeks battling it out in the Australian version of The Voice.

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