Helen Clark Foundation Calls For Tougher Rules Against Corruption, As Public Unease Grows
In a report released today, public policy think tank The Helen Clark Foundation brings into sharp focus the growing perception of corruption in New Zealand’s political and governance systems in recent years and why this matters.
The report, Shining a light: Improving transparency in New Zealand’s political and governance systems, examines the increasing risks of political corruption, particularly around political party funding and lobbying, and outlines the rules and regulations needed to better protect our systems.
The research identifies five areas most vulnerable to corrupt practices: the practice of political lobbying; political donations and elections funding; access to official information; foreign bribery; and beneficial ownership of corporate entities.
“Our political integrity and honesty has largely evolved from social norms over many decades. Politicians by and large knew the conduct that was expected of them by New Zealand society. Sadly, today, we’re naïve to think that’s enough,” says the author of the report, Philippa Yasbek.
“New Zealand needs stronger laws and regulations to improve trust and confidence in political decision-making, or we risk seeing the rise of populist leaders who are prepared to sweep away democratic norms.”
Former Attorney-General, Hon Chris Finlayson KC, says the increasing risks of corruption in New Zealand’s political system highlighted in the report are very serious and reach beyond party politics.
“Corruption is an insidious cancer. It is not enough for democracies like ours to pay lip service to principles of transparency and steps which need to be taken against corruption,” Hon Finlayson said.
“New Zealand must critically examine the issues raised in this report on a regular basis and implement law changes, if necessary, as quickly as possible.”
The report makes a number of recommendations to make our political systems fairer, some of which have been put forward previously by reputable bodies, but so far current and previous governments have failed to implement them. These include:
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- Regulating lobbying
- Limiting donations to political parties and improving disclosure of these donations
- Improving access to official information
- Strengthening laws against foreign bribery
- Establishing a registry of beneficial ownership
Philippa Yasbek adds:
“Too frequently, policy changes in New Zealand occur in response to crises, which in turn are often a result of known weaknesses in our laws and institutions. Rather than doing too little, too late, we are recommending simple changes now that can reduce the risks of corruption in New Zealand and forestall future crises.”
The only one who will jump up and down about Helen Clark’s latest civic blueprint is Bryce Edwards over at the Paywalled Democracy Project but seeing as The Democracy Project argue the Atlas Network is a myth, their myopic focus on NZ influence with no connection to the international right wing think tanks that are generating te tactics ACT and right wing astro-turf organisations are using makes The Democracy Project very limited.
And behind a paywall.
The simple reason why no one will do anything about Helen Clark’s political lobbying in NZ is the current Government!
This Government is a hard right, racist, climate denying, beneficiary bashing, disabled abusing movement who are implementing an anti-Māori, anti-Treaty, anti-worker, anti-renter, anti-disabled and anti-environment agenda for their donor class who are buying legislation.
You think National, ACT and NZF are going to change the current process they viciously use to get power?
Look at the numerous right wing politicians who were previously consultants to these astro-turf right wing hate groups, they have perfected the means of inserting consultants in as politicians and are currently running amok for their donors, these manipulators WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER change that system.
Ironically the Democracy Project claimed that this Government was in fact moderate.
We are being held hostage by a far right agenda that got elected because the electorate were embittered post Covid that Jacinda had the temerity to save 20 000 lives, everything after that point is fascist gravy.
Complaining about how the Right manipulate the system without damning the extremism of the forces exploiting that is just shouting into the wind.
Much like The Democracy Project.
Maybe it’s because they are bunch of hypocrites who do exactly the same things.
Or is it OK when those on the Left do it?
Do what? Evidence?
If you don’t know, maybe it’s time you woke up. Maybe you could ask Countryboy.
Yasbek just follows the money & says what her backers want.
She was the anti-gun lobbyist that sold out law-abiding Kiwis & made no one safer.
A bit rich from someone who has sold out to China
And it was your lot who had the Han Spook sitting at the cabinet table. What a sack of shit you are Trevor, and dumb arsed one to boot.
Who was it that sent the SAS to Afghanistan to kill brown people? Then kept quiet about it?
Here’s a clue…
https://operationburnham.inquiry.govt.nz/inquiry-report/chapter-2/
While list seats allow a more accurate representation of the electorates political ideology the ability of the local electorate voters to know who exactly they are voting for has been lost . Now it’s, “numerous right wing politicians who were previously consultants”. Lange warned of this.
‘Growing perception of corruption’ and corruption itself is not quite the same thing. What we need is evidence of growing corruption in New Zealand’s political and governance systems not a survey based on public opinion and conclusions/ discussion drawn from it. I haven’t read the Helen Clark Foundation report so I may be way off track but way too often ‘perception’ is given the same weight as concrete evidence. That said, where there’s smoke there’s fire, as the saying goes. Political lobbying; political donations and elections funding; access to official information; foreign bribery; and beneficial ownership of corporate entities is good place for empirical research to find evidence, and somewhere where investigative journalists can look.
https://helenclark.foundation/app/uploads/2024/08/Transparency-and-Integrity-Report-Shine-A-Light-DIGITAL-FINAL.pdf
This is the glossy version, the report with the soft cardboard cover and color printing. You’ll need to dig a bit deeper for the research study itself, the unedited document. It’ll tum up in a journal no doubt in a different format, one would hope with a methodology included. It does however seem like the report was based on public opinion not for example ethnographic evidence, ie, the “strong belief that access money is a problem in New Zealand with 65% of New Zealanders agreeing that our economy is rigged to advantage the rich and powerful”. As much as I’d like to agree with public opinion, and if asked myself would have most likely said the same, personal views gained through a tick-box / multiple choice survey don’t always capture the full picture. Other commentary says as much, with the actors supposedly doing the rigging kept anonymous in the report.
https://democracyproject.substack.com/p/the-political-corruption-report-that
Still, the report achieves its aim: highlighting of the (perceived) issues surrounding corruption in NZ’s democratic political system, resulting in long overdue media exposure and hopefully increased public awareness. Not that the report is the fist cab off the rank, not by a long way. But a noble cause, right? What we need now is alternative evidence, case studies grounded in real events and real people, a more trustworthy discourse, and a full feature doco!
Yes, they are bunch of hypocrites
Helen Clark’s call for stricter rules on political lobbying and transparency highlights serious concerns about corruption in New Zealand’s political system, but it remains to be seen if actionable reforms will follow.
You have to ask what drives people to make political donations? Why not just donate to charity if you have too much money and no ulterior motive?
Political donations have zero place in governments free of undue influence, or worse.
All parties that qualify should be given the same amount of tax funded money to run their campaigns. Then we would hopefully get a system that serves the many instead of the few.
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