Democracy faces daily new risks in the digital age. This article highlights a few tools like 'The complete guide to NZ Election 2020' which aim to create an informed electorate and provide transparency around political advertising and political content.

Mary Jane Kivalu has joined the Transparency International New Zealand team as the Project Manager of our Network for South Pacific communities.

New Zealand’s commitment towards implementation of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption is ongoing. There has been good progress in several areas, but plenty of room remains to more fully meet our commitments. One area in particular is the need for more transparency of beneficial ownership.

TINZ remains concerned that political parties are largely unaware of New Zealand’s vulnerability to the impact of corruption that originates overseas. They are generally naive about how our international reputation for strong integrity attracts the corrupt on one hand, while on the positive side, strengthening New Zealand's integrity systems to prevent this corruption has the potential to accrue value to their constituencies and to our economy.

The new proposed Parliamentary Code of Conduct addresses important issues of inappropriate sexual conduct and bullying. The code is part of proposals to make Parliament a safer working environment, from one where unacceptable conduct had become "normalised”.

The political parties' answers to TINZ's seven questions do not inspire confidence that they recognise the extent of the external threat of corruption and the leverage that a solid reputation brings to the New Zealand economy’s recovery, including the potential to repay debt at a faster rate.

Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) posed seven key questions to each political party on issues of transparency, anti-corruption and protection for whistleblowers. Here are their responses

Just-released reports by the Office of Auditor-General highlight the need for added transparency in government decision making and reporting outcomes. More civil society consultation in the UNCAC review is called for. And Suzanne thanks three parliamentarians who have worked hard to progress the anti-corruption agenda.

On 28 July, TINZ sent an open letter to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. "We encourage you both to work with Chief Executives across government to ensure that their agencies meet the compliance standards in the Procurement Rules that have been mandated by Cabinet."

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was found to have "manifestly inadequate" administration and institutional accountability systems for gathering, recording, preserving, investigating and providing information. This directly impacted on the quality of information provided by NZDF to successive Ministers of Defence, and through them to Parliament.

It is disappointing that the leadership of the New Zealand Open Government Partnership (OGP) programme has not published any information on the programme for the last six months.

Join Transparency International New Zealand, the Victoria University Brian Picot Chair of Ethical Leadership and 2020 Election Candidates from across Wellington on Tuesday 6 October (rescheduled from 25 August), as they share their insights and perspectives on business and political integrity during our recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.