To be fair to the Free Speech Union, they don’t hide this. However it is transparently obvious that free speech has nothing to do with their function, instead they seek to manipulate and control the discourse. Education Minister, Erica Stanford, also with connections to the Atlas Network, has done a very similar thing to the New Zealand Teachers Council. He was appointed Chair of the Teaching Council – the body responsible for teacher registration and approving teacher education programmes – by Education Minister Erica Stanford in August 2025. WHY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE and networks continue appearing across teacher education, curriculum reform, regulation, and review.