Matthew Hooton will summarise the main findings of his recent PhD thesis (under examination) on principles of conservatism, drawn from ontology, epistemology, ethics, metaethics and political philosophy.

He will then apply them to the controversy over the taniwha Horotiu in 2011, at which time he was an advisor to the Independent Māori Statutory Board, and consider how they may have assisted the board and Prime Minister John Key manage the issue differently