The OECD warned us recently that corporate and vested interests have a level of influence over legislation that compromises our democracy…
According to an OECD report released today, New Zealand needs to tame its corporate lobbying industry. The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has ranked New Zealand as the fourth-worst country among its 38 members when it comes to regulating vested interests that try to influence policymaking.
The OCED report for this country, Product Market Regulation indicators: How does New Zealand compare?, says that New Zealand is one of the few advanced economies that still doesn’t “have adequate rules that ensure transparency and accountability in the interactions between public officials and interest groups”. They warn that this absence threatens to produce an “unlevel playing field” in which big businesses can dominate and monopolise New Zealand industries, reducing productivity.
The report evaluates all the regulations in economies such as New Zealand to highlight where regulation, or a lack of it, leads to reduced economic competition. The OECD performs this process every five years, using about 1000 questions relating to each country’s regulatory framework. Overall, the quality of New Zealand’s regulations is deemed to be very close to the average in the OECD—the country ranks 20 out of the 38 organisation members.
Regarding lobbying regulations, the OECD measures each country on a scale between 0 to 6, in which 0 means “more transparent” and 6 means “less transparent”. Countries at the top of the scale, like France and Ireland, have excellent lobbying scores – both on 0.86 out of 6, and even the US is near the top, with a very good score of 1.71. New Zealand is at the other end with a score of 4.93 out of 6. The only OECD countries faring worse are Slovakia (5.14), Luxemburg (5.57) and Turkey (5.57).
You can see how New Zealand fares in the regulation of lobbying in the chart below, taken from the report – the red bar is for New Zealand, the green bar is the OECD average:
…we are an open sewer of corporate and industry interests connected with the donor class who are now simply getting the laws written for their interest, not the common good.
We are seeing donor interests written in as legislation and the privatisation agenda that TDB warned you would come is now being readied as National manufacture a public service funding crisis so they can start selling it off.
We have been warned that the corporate donor class have taken over influence over our laws, why aren’t you angry yet you sleepy hobbits?
There are poster on this site who have some bullshit misconception that corruption is ok because it “gets things done.” Or is it because they are so tribal they can’t call a spade a spade. Family connections to our last foreign minister under the last government were completely unacceptable ( fair enough) but it’s patently obvious some in this new mob are bought and paid for but that’s ok?
I having been saying it for quite a few months now, the coalition of chaos that is the 3 headed monster are all corrupt, look at their backers.
” The OECD warned us recently that corporate and vested interests have a level of influence over legislation that compromises our democracy…”
Oh wow man! I mean, man… really? Dude! No! Not here… No way man …
My friend Dario and Country Boy have been writing that same thing here for 13 years now, is it? Starting with Tumeke.
And only now, has the OECD coughed up that particular hairball? One could ask why? Anyway, moving on.
Have you guys all been smoking good Central Otago sativa? Because we’ve had no politics independent of foreign and local corporate manipulation since roger douglas sneaked up behind us and stabbed us in the back, back in 1984. Since then, we’ve all been roughly fucked without the kissing. I mean, how else do you get now four foreign owned banks artificially inflating our house prices so’s they can lead us by our greed into a savage trap, aka the house you’re probably in right now.
Ok. So you know the problem but what to do. I can tell you. You do nothing.
Stop paying the criminal * rort that is your mortgage then get a decent group of your biggest and strongest to go down town and explain in a pleasant sort of way as to why you’re about to burn their bank building down so perhaps running while screaming is the target for today’s rorting monetary goal ?
We don’t need four now foreign owned banks boldly stealing $180.00 a second net 24/7/365.
We don’t need 14 multi-billionaires. We don’t need 3118 multi-millionaires with a baseline of $50 million each after tax. 600,000 people living in poverty and 200,000 kids going hungry don’t need a super yacht. They need food and a place to call home. Everything you see, know and hear is bullshit, except perhaps the integrity of the smile on your sweethearts face.
Warning! Contains teeth.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cz7jAhvsVsc/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=78141a31-03cc-4079-b9cd-2b6ff68e156d&img_index=1
Apologies for that. You’re probably wiping vomit off your laptop right now.
Here’s the SS Hart-Fart. $269,000,000 worth. That’s two hundred and sixty nine of the millions you dream of winning on that other beer and circuses con job, Lotto.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/11/new-zealand-s-richest-man-graeme-hart-s-new-superyacht-revealed-after-secretive-construction.html
* rort
I see the Australians are all over this:
noun: rort; plural noun: rorts
1 1. informal•Australian a fraudulent or dishonest act or practice.”a tax rort”
2 2. dated•informal a wild party.
verbinformal•Australian
verb: rort; 3rd person present: rorts; past tense: rorted; past participle: rorted; gerund or present participle: rorting
1 engage in sharp practice.
◦ manipulate (a ballot or records) fraudulently; rig.
◦ work (a system) to obtain the greatest benefit while remaining within the letter of the law.
2 1920s: back-formation from rorty.
” We have been warned that the corporate donor class have taken over influence over our laws, why aren’t you angry yet you sleepy hobbits? ”
Bomber to quote one of the many good people I support ” Its just the way it is ”
Many don’t have the energy or even care about any of this stuff. Its will I have a job next week ? will I get paid and if I do can I feed my kids and pay the rent. If I get sick again and have used up all my sick leave I won’t get paid. Will the bread and two minute noodles get us through the next few days until I get some money. If the kids get sick I can’t afford the cost of getting them checked and the medicines they need. The power bill is so expensive I have turned off the heat pump and the hot water but that will leave enough for switching on the stove.
Too name a few challenges.
Corruption is the price of flogging the nearly dead neo liberal horse to try and get another race out of it and pretending its still a sure bet.
Bomber the fight has been replaced with acceptance and the adrenalin needed to just survive.
And that to quote my impoverished couple is just the way it is and its not going to change so deal with it.
The sooner we stop former cabinet ministers being lobbyists the better.
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