As your Vice-Chancellor here at He Waka Kore Hoe (once known as Elizabeth University), I’m excited to announce the 17^th consultation period (Round 3A) for our public panel on free speech, which will kick off next Monday, November 12^th, 2031.

I am grateful to all the groups who made submissions during the last round, including Anti-Racists for Climate Justice, Students Against Education, Queers for Palestine, Vegans Anonymous, Anonymous, the Philistine Society, Debating Debate Club, and More Mao Now! However, the submission from Tory Whanau (the student conservative association) was deemed potentially problematic by Student Safety and has been ethically destroyed.

I am also grateful to Procrastinators United, who indicated that they would be putting in a submission next week.

At least three students have said that the last iteration of the panel (iteration 473H) did not have enough representation of Canadians over two meters tall, Palauans, Muslim atheists, chartered accountants, Bulgars, ginger historians, and non-binary Manichaeans. This was a significant failing and I thank those who pointed it out.

I would also like to point out, in response to disinformation spread by a few thousand online agitators, that I have once again shown a willingness to face down complaints that only have the backing of one or two students. Not three students, obviously - $368,750 a year is hardly enough for me to be expected to take that kind of risk!

My vision for our own He Waka Kore Hoe free speech panel is now a truly inspiring one. The 14,806 panellists will be representative of all of Wellington, all of New Zealand, central Europe, Southeast Asia, Nichiren Buddhism, and 86% of Reformed Masonic Lodges worldwide. Panellists will be empowered to cover a wide range of topics and to support students by avoiding saying anything that might offend them or run against their priors. (Note to self: re-write this bit.)

With every further draft iteration of our free speech panel, I become ever more confident that we will be able to put free speech at the heart of what we do here at Elizabeth (Note from the Office of Language: you are required by rule 411C.iii to change this to ‘He Waka Kore Hoe.’ Please comply).

I am confident that the way we have gone about this exercise will send a clear message to the outside world that we are serious about free speech.

Jac Jones