Health Coalition Aotearoa Webinar
On 31 March 2026 the Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) hosted a fabulous forum on Lobbying, Transparency and Health. This included speakers on current lobbying regulation in Ireland (Gary Murphy) and South Australia (Yee-Fui Ng) as well as expert Max Rashbrooke, and Julie Haggie from Transparency International New Zealand. The Chair was Chris Finlayson. Grant Bergen, member of the HCA Board, opened and closed the session.
Gary Murphy
Professor Gary Murphy is an expert on lobbying regulations across the globe. He notes New Zealand is not a stellar performer, but nor was Ireland until 2015. He says “If you want architecture of open government then there are a few key elements: freedom of information legislation; whistleblower legislation and a regulation of lobbying so people can understand who is lobbying who about what.”
He notes that lobbying can be very useful if it is done openly, overtly, and for public good. Secret lobbying does no one any favours – it hurts a country’s reputation and it hurts its citizens.
Professor Murphy talked about corruption scandals in Ireland in the 1990s related to undue and secret influence as well as the economic crisis that prompted the reform. A new political coalition was formed in 2011. One of their policy positions was to regulate lobbying. The resulting regulation has proved to be an extraordinary success despite not being perfect. It allows people to search a database of lobbyists, and those lobbied, and topics.
Covert lobbying probably still goes on but most now goes through the system. Citizens are assured that influence on politics is relatively clean.
He notes that in order to make this work a strong definition of what constitutes lobbying is needed
Associate Professor Yee Fui Ng
Associate Professor Yee Fui Ng noted that lobbying can be a legitimate and valuable form of political participation and communication. However, it can also undermine democratic processes when it grants undue influence to vested interests, particularly when negotiations take place behind closed doors and risk overriding the public interest.
She cited an example from Victoria, Australia. In 2023, the independent Anti-Corruption Commission’s “Operation Sandon” found that lobbyists had channelled briefcases of cash—totalling more than $100,000—from a property developer to councillors under the guise of legitimate transactions. She also pointed to similar concerns in New South Wales, the United States, and Europe, highlighting that regulating political lobbying is a global challenge.
Ng emphasized that effective regulatory models do exist. She argued that Australia’s current framework is inadequate, as it focuses primarily on third-party lobbyists. By contrast, the United States and Canada have operated comprehensive lobbying regimes for over 50 years, with extensive disclosure requirements. Ideally, every lobbying contact should be reported, and in the U.S. disclosures also include political donations by lobbyists.
She noted that in Queensland, mapping political donations alongside lobbying activity reveals clear patterns, with donations from lobbyists increasing during election years—underscoring the importance of integrating data across systems. The regulation of gifts also needs to be incorporated into this framework. Crucially, enforcement should be handled by an independent regulator rather than one embedded within a government agency.
Ng also highlighted the influence of mining and fossil fuel industries in Australia, which she argued has contributed to blocking sensible and urgently needed policy responses, particularly on climate change.
Max Rashbrooke
Max Rashbrooke highlighted the lack of effective lobbying regulation in New Zealand. Key mechanisms common in other countries—such as a public register of lobbyists and mandatory stand-down periods—are largely absent. This creates risks in a context of growing economic inequality, which he linked to the global rise of authoritarian populism and a perception that political systems are “rigged.” While that perception may sometimes be overstated, he noted that wealth can indeed be converted into political influence—through political donations and lobbying.
Rashbrooke emphasized that lobbying is a natural and healthy part of democracy, but imbalances raise serious concerns. These include declining competition in many sectors and the possibility that a small number of powerful actors maintain their position partly by distorting public decision-making processes. The failure to regulate lobbying contributes to these concerns.
Drawing on his report A Balance of Voices, he stressed the importance of clear definitions in any regulatory regime. International approaches tend to focus on significant lobbying activity. For example, Ireland’s framework defines lobbying based on scale—such as the size of an organisation—or whether it involves third-party lobbyists. Core elements of effective regulation include:
- a public register of lobbyists, with regular disclosure of meetings and their purpose
- a code of conduct
- and stand-down (or “cooling-off”) periods to address revolving door risks
Julie Haggie
Julie Haggie focused on declining trust in public institutions and how anti-democratic actors exploit this erosion to advance populist narratives. Greater transparency around lobbying, she argued, is one way to help level the playing field and rebuild public confidence.
She noted that Transparency International New Zealand has adopted its own Code of Ethical Advocacy and publishes a register of its lobbying activities. While defining the scope of what constitutes “advocacy” versus general information-sharing can be challenging, she stressed that this process is valuable in encouraging ethical reflection. Ultimately, what matters most is clarity about who is engaging with whom.
Haggie also observed that integrity can erode under pressure and competition for influence. Stronger lobbying regulation can help lift standards. In the absence of transparency and public participation, lobbying risks dominating parliamentary discourse.
Conclusion
In response to a question about how to drive reform, the panel agreed that change requires a political champion within Parliament. While there are successful international models, reform depends on someone willing to take ownership. Associate Professor Yee Fui Ng noted that stronger regulation often follows major scandals, as politicians are otherwise reluctant to impose constraints on themselves. Haggie called for a stronger civil society voice and greater leadership from lobbying firms themselves. Gary pointed out that in Ireland, many lobbying firms have come to support regulation, recognizing that transparency can demonstrate effectiveness to clients.
Professor Murphy concluded by urging New Zealand to “grasp the nettle” on lobbying regulation, framing it as a matter of open government. Transparency benefits all parties—those who lobby and those who are lobbied. Without it, countries risk falling behind and failing to provide the public with essential insight into who is influencing policy, and how.
Watch the Webinar here:
This is the first in a series of four webinars being hosted by Health Coalition Aotearoa as part of their Investing in Prevention series in election year.
