WEAll – Redesigning the Economy with a Wellbeing Focus
WEAll Aotearoa (WEAll) is a non-partisan, independent ‘think and do’ tank working to redesign Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy around the wellbeing of its people and te taiao. It uses an evidence-informed approach and focuses upstream to develop practical, long-term solutions for the public good. WEAll has been a member of the Peter McKenzie Project (PMP) ‘flotilla’ or collective of initiatives tackling the root causes of child and whānau poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand for three years.
Gareth Hughes
“WEAll believes in the vision of PMP that all children and whānau in Aotearoa thrive but unfortunately our current economic system isn't delivering this. With rising costs and incomes lagging behind, hard work is no longer an opportunity to get ahead and today four in ten kids growing up in poverty in New Zealand have a parent in full-time work. We don’t believe this is an accident, it is the result of deliberate policy choices but because economic systems are products of design, that means they can be redesigned,” says Gareth Hughes, Director – WEAll.
“We acknowledge the leadership of PMP which looks upstream at causes of harm and has the courage to question how the economic system is operating. Over the last three years, WEAll Aotearoa has benefited from the relationships built with other kaikōkiri and we have found opportunities to collaborate – from social media video campaigns, policy development, and sharing collective knowledge at our conferences.
PMP has introduced new concepts to us such as the Three Horizons framework which we use regularly as a way to envision systems change,” says Gareth.
In March 2026, WEAll sponsored a public talk in Tāmaki Makaurau delivered by former global finance trader turned inequality campaigner, Gary Stevenson. During his visit, Gary shared insights from his experience, explained how Aotearoa New Zealand’s current system concentrates wealth, and why change is urgently needed. He sparked conversations about a question more and more people are asking: Who is our economy really serving and who is being left behind? You can read about Gary’s visit on the WEAll website.
Before the public talk, Gary joined Gareth for a conversation about inequality, power, and the choices societies face about their economic future which you can view below, or here on YouTube. This in-depth interview offers a wealth of information, as well as a hopeful message that while challenges exist, change is possible.
The day after Gary’s public talk, WEAll hosted him at a hui with around 30 inequality advocates, researchers, and changemakers at Auckland City Mission – Te Tāpui Atawhai. You can read more about the hui here. Peter McKenzie Project asked Jacqui Chan to create a visual record of the two events Gary took part in. The illustrations below showcase the kaupapa and offer another valuable way to reflect on the mahi that occurred across the two days.
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