Employment Working Group members

Sector Rep and Chair: Lorraine Toki (Ngāpuhi)

Lorraine has worked in leadership roles supporting hapū and iwi development. Lorraine has a background in community economic development, holds a master’s degree in management and is currently the lead advisor to the Iwi Chairs Forum – Pou Tangata. She is an advocate for Māori on many kaupapa involving justice, health, social services, organisational policy development and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Community Rep: Jason Boberg

Jason is a proud disabled person who draws strength from the disability community he often represents. Through his professional and personal life, he has been dedicated to advocating for disability rights from the grassroots level to the United Nations.

As the co-founder and Director at Activate, a disability- led consultancy, Jason has championed inclusive employment practices, advising businesses, local government, and organisations on removing barriers for disabled people. Jason has been a member of the Disabled Persons Assembly’s National Executive Committee and the Auckland Council Disability Advisory Panel. He was a founder of the Sustained Ability Disability and Climate Network and continues to take a leadership role at international conferences and summits for the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Community Rep: David Corner

David has lived experience and is an advocate for intellectually disabled people. He is the National Advisor in the IHC Self Advocacy Team. As an experienced advocate and representative of people with an intellectual disability David has been a valued participant and contributor to groups such as the New Zealand Health and Disability Commissioner Consumer Advisory Group, the Community Connections Board, the Asia-Pacific Inclusion International Council and the Ombudsman Disability Advisory Panel.

David has been awarded Life Membership of People First Aotearoa and Inclusion International.

“I have an intellectual disability and I am passionate and committed to ensuring that other people with an intellectual disability have an ordinary life and can speak up for themselves and have their say and have their voices heard.”

Community Rep: Andrew Hall

Andrew is a wheelchair user with a strong background of working in the health system and of developing vocational rehabilitation and peer support programmes for people with spinal cord injury. Andrew is the father of a disabled 21-year-old and has additional experience of navigating and accessing services for his son. Andrew is also an IT specialist with many years of work in the health system.

Andrew has extensive involvement in organisational governance roles typically in finance and recruitment/human resources subcommittees. He is director of the New Zealand Rugby Foundation, vice-president of the Australia New Zealand Spinal Cord Society, deputy chair of the Burwood Academy Trust, a founding trustee of the Pacific Disability Support Trust and serves on the Ombudsman’s Office Disability Advisory Panel (Te Rōpū Kaiārahi Hauātanga). Andrew is also the National Programme Manager of the New Zealand Spinal Trust

Sector Rep: Phil O’Reilly ONZM

Phil is Managing Director of Iron Duke Partners and prior to that was CEO of Business New Zealand for 11 years. Iron Duke Partners is a government relations and public policy advisory firm. Business New Zealand is the country’s large advocacy group for businesses engaging regularly with Government, community groups, Ministers, and MPs.

Phil has acted in a governance or advisory capacity for local and international organisations on issues of trade, sustainability, diversity, pay equity, manufacturing, tertiary education, child poverty and the future of work. Previously, he was a member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation, based in Geneva, and Chair of Business at the OECD.

The group will also include representatives from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD).