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Front Row Seat
How Science Can (and Can’t) Shape Public Decision-Making
Brief Description
Responding to the terrorist attack on a Christchurch mosque and a global pandemic, the volcanic eruption at Whakaari/White Island and the occupation of Parliament grounds, for six years Dame Juliet Gerrard stood next to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her successors to provide the insights that...
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Front Row Seat
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A scientist and three prime ministers – the inside story.
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Description
Responding to the terrorist attack on a Christchurch mosque and a global pandemic, the volcanic eruption at Whakaari/White Island and the occupation of Parliament grounds, for six years Dame Juliet Gerrard stood next to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her successors to provide the insights that science might bring to decisions on issues of public importance.
Sometimes these were emergencies: How fast will Covid spread? How many people are likely to die under different policies? Will the mosque terrorist produce copycats? And sometimes they were longer-term issues: What does the science say about cannabis? Should we worry about 5G or genetic engineering? Will it be easy or hard to get rid of plastic bags? Through case studies like these, Gerrard reflects on the realities of providing evidence to inform policy in the political arena – unpacking the tensions and drawing out general principles.
For anyone interested in evidence and public policy, Front Row Seat is a readable insider account of how science can (and can’t) help us solve big public issues.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781776711932
Publisher: Auckland University Press
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 10 September 2026
Country: New Zealand
Imprint: Auckland University Press
Contributors:
- Foreword by Jacinda Ardern
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 210.0mm
Weight: 410g
Pages: 244
About the Author
Dame Juliet A. Gerrard DNZM, HonFRSC, FRSNZ, trained at Oxford and moved to New Zealand in 1993. She is the author of over 175 publications, including three books, and is currently a professor in biological and chemical sciences at the University of Auckland. From 2018–2024, she served as the Chief Science Advisor to three Prime Ministers (Jacinda Ardern, Chris Hipkins, and Christopher Luxon).
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