The Elephant

In the final episode of The Elephant for 2025, we ask should the workplace reward fairness or flawless performance? DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusioin) promises opportunity for all. MEI (Merit, Excellence says only the best should rise. Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell bring together Alexia Hilbertidou, Kara Smith, Dr Oliver Hartwich, Katie Bhreatnach, and Yaron Brook to debate the clash dividing bosses, employees, and the culture of success itself. Who wins, who loses, and what really makes someone succeed? The Elephant is made with support from NZ On AirSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Proud to be Pākehā? Or carrying the baggage of history? From Kiwi grit and humour to the legacy of the past, what does it really mean to claim this identity today? Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell tackle the tough questions with Eliza McCartney, Tamati Rimene-Sproat, Dr Ella Henry, Andrew Judd, and Don Brash. The Elephant is made with support from NZ On AirSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where’s the line between free speech and hate speech, and who gets to draw it? After years of cultural shouting matches, The Elephant asks the question at the core of it all. Free-speech defenders say cancel culture is killing debate, while others argue some of this so-called “speech” is really just bullying with bigger words. Joining Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell to break it down are filmmaker and actor Awa Puna, Free Speech Union and PILLAR’s Nathan Seiuli, Rights Aotearoa head Paul Thistoll, and Professor Simon Keller, co-author of Victoria University’s free-speech guidelines. The Elephant is made with support from NZ On AirSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The question “What is a woman?” ignites one of today’s fiercest cultural clashes. Join Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell as they tackle this charged topic with former squash player and Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy, psychologist and Women’s Rights Party member Linde Rose, teacher and journalist Debbie Hayton, and transgender advocate Mary Haddock-Staniland. From sport to safety, no viewpoint goes unchallengedThe Elephant is made with the support of NZ On Air.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kiwi travel to the United States has dropped by 10%, and it’s not just about airfares. With phones being searched and politics at the border heating up, Miriama Kamo and Mark Crysell are joined by expert guests to explore why so many New Zealanders are suddenly uneasy about visiting America. The Elephant is made with the support of NZ On AirSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.