Campaign Resources
Our Action plan
Other OECD countries have much stronger systems to protect the public good from undue vested influence. We should draw on the best of these examples and adapt them for our own local context. Health Coalition Aotearoa has developed a comprehensive action plan to level the playing field.
- Regulate lobbying
A fully public register of lobbyists’ meetings with decision-makers so we can see who is influencing whom, a mandatory code of conduct, and an integrity commission to enforce these measures.
- Slow the revolving door
A “cooling off” period during which former ministers and other officials can’t become lobbyists, to ensure confidential state information isn’t misused for private benefit.
- Better manage commercial conflicts of interest
Strengthen the codes of conduct for all government employees, appointees and contractors so that commercial conflicts of interest are explicitly declared and managed.
- Strengthen transparency legislation
A rewrite of the Official Information Act to ensure that more government information is published automatically and it’s harder to refuse requests for it, so we can see more clearly who’s influencing ministers’ decisions.
Underlying Principles: Equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and The Bill of Rights
Any proposed integrity legislation must uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi (especially protecting the Crown-Iwi relationships) and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (especially protecting the freedom of association and freedom of expression).
