Newsletter

Time to Raise the Bar: The Case for a Positive Test for Urgency in New Zealand Parliament

Using urgency as a default legislative strategy — treating a parliamentary majority as a substitute for deliberation, or rushing complex legislation through simply because a government can is not acceptable.

Get Lobbying into the Sunlight

Professional lobbying has grown significantly in New Zealand since the 1980s, yet regulation has not kept pace. While lobbying can contribute to public policy, the absence of clear rules has enabled practices that undermine public confidence.

The Queensland Model – Real-Time Political Funding

In Queensland, candidates are required to disclose donations in real time. New Zealand would benefit from a similar regime

Parliament calls out government for being hard to understand — and charts a way forward

A landmark report from a cross-party Committee says New Zealanders deserve much clearer information about what the government is doing with their money.

New Zealand Takes on Modern Slavery: What the New Bill Means — and What's Missing

Transparency International New Zealand has made a submission to Parliament on the Modern Slavery Bill 2026, broadly welcoming the legislation while urging significant strengthening before it becomes law.

Pacific Partnership Environmental Research Project

TINZ is continuing its work across the Pacific through a new ‘Access to Environmental Information’ research project that focuses on information available on fisheries in Fiji and extractives in Solomon Islands.

Panama Papers: 10 years on

In 2016 around 11.5 million documents were leaked from a Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. The Panama Papers exposed systems and mechanisms that enable corruption worldwide. A recent webinar unpacked what the Panama Papers made possible — and why many of the same vulnerabilities persist today.

Census and electoral legislation changes put critical statistics including those defining electoral boundaries at risk

Len Cook, guest writer, TINZ member and former Chief Statistician, reflects on the Electoral (District Boundaries) Amendment Bill and the Data and Statistics (Census) Amendment Bill. Together they propose significant changes to the information that we all have to trust when making decisions and will have far reaching impacts that have not been drawn to the attention of either Members of Parliament or expert users.

The Corruption Connection

Following the results of the latest Corruption Perceptions Index and the Anti-Corruption Taskforce Pilot Report, we held a special event for the TINZ Leaders Integrity Forum and TINZ members to reflect on the findings.

Incentivising integrity in public procurement

Public procurement accounts for up to US$13 trillion globally each year and remains highly vulnerable to corruption. New guidance from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) outlines how governments can use carefully designed incentives—alongside sanctions—to strengthen business integrity and reduce corruption risks in public contracting.

What more could be done to improve accountability, transparency and integrity in local authority elections?

It appears from the 2025 election that local government elections are under active threat of increased corrupt behaviour. The integrity systems currently in place are showing their age. They need review and realignment to enable the full implementation of the principles of the Local Electoral Act 2001.

Defending Human Rights

TINZ Executive Director and several Board members recently met with international human rights superstar and journalist Ken Roth and attended his lecture at Victoria University. A key point is that pressure, not the courts, is perhaps the most important element for defending rights.

Bullying as a barometer to assess organisational integrity

This article is for those passionate about practical tools to build a Speak Up culture in New Zealand, arguing that trust can be tested. Bullying and harassment reporting is a strong indicator of how organisations handle other serious integrity issues.

Falling Corruption Score Signals Growing Risks to New Zealand’s Democratic Integrity

New Zealand’s CPI score has fallen by two points for the fourth consecutive year—a 10% drop overall. While New Zealand still ranks equal fourth with Norway, this continued slide reflects diminishing confidence among business experts and international assessors in the integrity of the public sector.

Why the Shift Downwards?

Our monitoring of the public notices of prosecutions, investigations and reports shows possible reasons for changes in New Zealand’s score in the Corruption Perceptions Index.

New Report Exposes Gaps in Public Sector Anti-Corruption Controls

A new Anti-Corruption Taskforce pilot report confirms that fraud and corruption in New Zealand’s public sector are likely being significantly under-reported, with major gaps in prevention and oversight. Some agencies show strong integrity practices, the findings highlight the urgent need for stronger, system-wide reforms.

Progress on Beneficial Ownership: A Step Forward, But a Long Road Remains

The Government’s renewed commitment to establishing a beneficial ownership register marks an important, if overdue, step in strengthening New Zealand’s defences against corruption, organised crime, and financial misconduct. But is it transparent and will it include trusts?

UNCAC CoSP11: A Major Win for Political Finance Transparency — and Why It Matters for New Zealand

A landmark international agreement aims to curb secret and illicit political funding. This article explains why adoption of this resolution matters for New Zealand and how it could help restore public trust in our political system.

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