The 16-year-old Otago Boys' High School pupil is a passionate debater, and when he hears someone express a flawed opinion, he can't help but offer a well versed rebuttal.
Fellow pupils are learning not to be fooled by his quietly spoken, placid nature.
He is not to be trifled with in the debating arena, and has left many opponents eating humble pie.
Because of his debating skill and self-control, he has been selected to attend the New Zealand Model United Nations Assembly in Wellington on July 4.
"I'm quite a competitive person.
"Learning how to debate has taught me how to win an argument, and everybody likes to win an argument."
He said this was the first time he had been selected for the national event and he was excited about pitting his skills against 270 of New Zealand's top secondary school debaters.
Among them are Dunedin debaters Casper McGuire, Zak Rudin and Sasha Freeman, of Logan Park High School; Georgia Frances and Khaleeda Jaafar Amsak, of Columba College; Ben Hawke, of King's High School; Isobel Smith, of Mt Aspiring College; and Archie Ritchie, of Wakatipu High School.
The event aims to provide a taste of life as a United Nations diplomat.
Between workshops and simulated committees, they will be given a platform to discuss important topics for the international community.
Along the way, Liam hoped to make new friends, tackle some of the world's biggest problems, and maybe make a difference in the world.
