Health Coalition Aotearoa’s work on integrity of public policy-making

Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) is a Te Tiriti-led coalition of health NGOs, professionals and academics with an unwavering commitment to reduce harm from tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food and advance public health equity. The influence of alcohol and ultra-processed food industries on public policy through lobbying is an issue of great concern to HCA because of the harms these industries cause. We want to ensure that those with less economic power or social privilege are not left with inequitable and unequal access to shaping public policy.

HCA’s work on integrity protection for policy-making has involved researching other countries’ approaches to these issues and listening to Māori perspectives on the role of the Treaty relationships on these issues. We have thought about how to adapt overseas approaches to the New Zealand context because there are many details and perspectives to consider around the introduction of legislation to regulate lobbying, including:

• The status of iwi/hapū/hāpori Māori as independent polities, in the expression of tino rangatiratanga
• The definition of lobbying activities, lobbyists and the targets of lobbying (who is lobbied)
• How essential regulatory mechanisms used internationally might be applied in New Zealand.

HCA commissioned a report examining these issues by author and researcher, Max Rashbrooke, A Balance of Voices: options for the regulation of lobbying in New Zealand. We also consulted with Māori stakeholders and commissioned a report on Māori perspectives on options for lobbying regulations by Mather Solutions Limited.