Jarrod Slade

Jarrod Slade is a multi-millionaire businessman, the founder and CEO of Slade Industries. Among his portfolio is the television station Channel 8, which he takes an active hand in running. Since Emergence Day, he has taken a keen interest in the hairypeople, making sure his news programs have extensively covered news of them and the government's response. While this seems primarily to be a quest for ratings, Slade does know much about them, able to spot Harry as a "shaver" by noticing his one remaining sharp fingernail.

While Slade seems to believe in equality and justice, his journalistic ethics are questionable, especially in the pursuit of ratings. He broadcast footage of the young hairy Jirra being killed by Containment Authority officers in primetime, and convinced Waruu West to appear live on The O'Grady Factor, only to cut to a report of Cameron Wells' killing during the debate without warning, linking the death to both the hairies and the death of Waruu's Uncle Jimmy. This debate was arranged at the request of Minister Geoff Matthews, whom Slade knows personally.

Jarrod is married to Dr. Charlotte Cleary. The couple want to have children, though they have not been able to; Slade has encouraged Charlotte to keep trying cutting edge fertility treatments. He has also mentioned that he is "building an ark" for them, though it is unclear what this means.