Legislation can set expectations. But can it change what happens in global supply chains?
As New Zealand considers its next steps on modern slavery legislation, important questions remain: What can legislation realistically achieve? Are social audits enough? What can we learn from Australia? And how do organisations turn commitments into meaningful action?
Join us on 29 October at Massey University’s Auckland campus in Albany for a panel conversation bringing together perspectives from industry, policy and academia to explore the Modern Slavery Bill and the practical realities of identifying and addressing exploitation in complex global supply chains.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, 29 October 2026
Time: 5.30 pm – 6.00 pm Networking and Refreshments
Panel Discussion: 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm
Venue: Innovation Complex, Room IC1.07, Albany Campus
Panelists:
Veronica Hopner Ph.D., PGDip (Defence and Security Studies) is the Coordinator of the Industrial-Organisational Psychology (I-O) Programme at Massey University and is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology. She has a background in Business and Health Psychology as well as Security Studies Her research interest's focus on Unfree Work, Climate Change and Sustainable Livelihoods. She is interested in the intersections of economic, environmental and social sustainability for Decent Work for people both working and seeking work.
Gareth Hughes is the Director of WEAll Aotearoa. He is an author, political commentator for Radio New Zealand and serves in governance roles. He was a Member of Parliament for over a decade where he served as the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Select Committee and before that was a climate campaigner at Greenpeace. He is a Dad to two teenagers in Wellington where he loves to sail his yacht Avanti.
Benjamin Rieck is an experienced business and sustainability leader with over 19 years of expertise in risk, assurance, and management consulting. As General Manager of Intertek Business Assurance Australasia, he supports organisations in strengthening human rights due diligence, managing modern slavery risks, and improving responsible sourcing across global supply chains. With extensive experience in social compliance, supplier engagement, assurance, and ESG advisory, he helps businesses align with key human rights and due diligence frameworks. Benjamin is passionate about translating complex sustainability and human rights requirements into practical actions that improve governance, transparency, resilience, and long-term business value.
Omer Nazir, School of Management and Marketing, Massey Business School. Omer’s research critically examines the intersections of technology, labour, and ethics within global capitalism. Drawing on critical management studies, political economy, and Foucauldian theory, his work explores modern slavery, debt bondage, and the socio-economic impacts of technology in global supply chains. He seeks to illuminate hidden forms of organisational violence and advance socially informed, justice-oriented approaches to management and policy.
Facilitator:
Professor Nitha Palakshappa, School of Management and Marketing, Massey Business School. Nitha leads the Massey Business School Sustainable Futures Hub. The Hub provides a forum for business, government and society to understand the importance of ethics, social responsibility, and sustainability initiatives/strategies in enhancing reputation, profitability, and competitivene
