15/06/2026
A recent Key Note Speaker we had the pleasure of hosting was Dr Gareth Jones.
Gareth is a Pukekohe local and good friend to member Veritas Rose.
Dr Gareth Jones, is an Indigenous scholar–practitioner from Aotearoa New Zealand whose work spans intelligence, security, and community wellbeing. He holds a PhD exploring how Māori values shape international partnerships and is currently undertaking a second PhD in artificial intelligence at the Australian National University School of Cybernetics.
Gareth is the CEO of Ngā Pou Mana and is deeply committed to social good, including supporting Rough Sleeping initiatives in New Plymouth, contributing to digital safety work with the New Zealand Human Rights Commission, and addressing issues within the health sector. He also contributes to international efforts to counter online harm and extremism with organisations such as Global Internet Forum Counter Terrorism and Christchurch Call Advisory Network.
Gareth spoke to us about demographic change from 1840 through to the projected future in 2043. One lesser‐known fact he shared: in 1840, the European population in New
Zealand was tiny. Many arrivals from the UK in those early years had lived for generations on leasehold land and had never
owned property. New Zealand offered opportunity. They adapted quickly, learned Te Reo, married locally, and raised mixed
families. There was no “us and them” — just a growing, evolving population. Fulton Hogan is one example of a company
now training its 4,000 staff on a fact‐driven understanding of the Treaty as it was intended and lived.
Gareth is currently working on a book titled Trading Places, a fact‐driven exploration of New Zealand’s evolution from 1840
to today — and beyond.
We learnt that his humility is genuine and his focus is on facts, the truth, analysis and helping people make better decisions.
