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.

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.

New Zealand should “grasp the nettle” on lobbying regulation because it is all about open government. Open government is clearly better for everybody including those who lobby and those who are lobbied.

On Monday 23rd March, Hon Dr Duncan Webb and Dr Vanessa Weenink MP hosted around 200 influential thinkers from various backgrounds at a cross party forum at Parliament. The purpose was to share ideas about how to ensure our democracy is preserved and enhanced.

The implementation review for New Zealand under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) covering Chapter II (Preventive Measures) and Chapter V (Asset Recovery) has been released. The recommendations in the report align well with TINZ’s submission.

Transparency International New Zealand has submitted its response to the Government’s draft Seventh Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.