Recent government reports show that it is palpably not possible for the average knowledgeable person in New Zealand to find and understand how much public money is being spent on which programs, with which consultants and companies, and whether the spending has been evaluated with a view to its original outcomes.

Despite many government commitments to more transparency of government procurement there has been no significant improvement over the last four years.

A Ministry of Justice survey reflects a sharp increase in fraud and deception crime in NZ. It is clear that personal fraud is not being managed well enough to protect consumers in New Zealand, and that criminals are exploiting the gaps.

Transparency International NZ believes it is essential to balance protecting people and wider society from harmful and unsafe content against maintaining open channels for debate, freedom and transparency of information. TINZ welcomes the Government’s review of the regulatory system for media and online platforms.

New Zealanders value a government that is open, and accountable. There are practical ways to see these qualities translated into concrete policies and actions.

The use of slave labour, child labour, debt bondage and worker exploitation is here in New Zealand and pervasive in our imports. Ultimately companies may need to invest in in-depth research of their complete supply chain and in-depth ‘feet on the ground’ investigations of suspicious suppliers.