Good Faith Yarns Auckland | Public Service, Neutrality and the Limits of Free Speech

Can a public servant have a political opinion? Should they? And what happens when the line between speaking your conscience and breaching your role gets drawn by the people with the power to fire you? New Zealand's public sector operates on a principle of strict political neutrality, but with an election coming, it's worth asking whether that principle protects democracy, or quietly silences some of the most informed voices in the country.
This winter, the Free Speech Union New Zealand is hitting the road. The Good Faith Yarns Tour brings honest, good-faith conversation to ten communities across the country, including the regional centres that so often get left out of the national conversation. With a general election on the horizon, public debate is getting louder and more polarised. We want to do something different.
Joining Ani O'Brien in Auckland is Rob Campbell, economist, former Crown entity chair, and the man at the centre of New Zealand's most high-profile public neutrality controversy in years. This is a conversation about free expression, institutional power, and who gets to speak and who gets told to stay quiet.
📍 Ellen Melville Centre, 2 Freyberg Place, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1000
📅 Wednesday 29 July 2026
🕐 6:30pm-8:00pm
🎤 Guest Speaker: Rob Campbell CNZM
🎟️ Tickets are just $10. Book your seat: https://events.humanitix.com/good-faith-yarns-auckland