News & Updates

Corruption and weak accountability can waste health funding and put patients at risk. Strong transparency and integrity systems are vital to a safe and trustworthy health system.

In August TINZ Executive Director Julie Haggie was on a five-person international panel assessing Taiwan’s performance against the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Here is her report.

The Pacific chapters of Transparency International, including TI Australia and TINZ, sent a message to Pacific Forum Leaders ahead of the Pacific Island Leaders Forum in Palau calling on the Pacific leaders to protect and strengthen leadership on climate change.

This year’s Dame Suzanne Snively Scholarship recipient explores how New Zealand could curb strategic litigation intended to silence public-interest speech while preserving access to justice.

TINZ’s new Green Paper examines options to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of New Zealand’s Official Information Act and aims to stimulate discussion about its future.

TINZ is launching new research into access to environmental information in Fiji and Solomon Islands with an online Pacific talanoa on International Access to Information Day, 28 September.

Political integrity is on the ballot too. Every party seeking our vote should clearly state how it will improve lobbying transparency, political donation rules and protections against undue influence.

The Transparency International Pacific Chapters call on Pacific Forum Leaders ahead of the regional meeting in Palau to strengthen the integrity of climate governance and reaffirm the Pacific’s leadership in advancing transparency, fairness and inclusivity of climate processes to deliver meaningful climate action and climate justice.

TINZ research in Fiji and Solomon Islands identifies practical opportunities to improve access to environmental information, supported by a Rapid Assessment Tool designed for use across the Pacific and beyond.

This Green Paper draws on evidence about how the OIA operates in practice and presents questions and options for reform. Prepared by TINZ as a discussion document, it will inform a forum of experts and stakeholders later in 2026, ahead of a final report and recommendations.

Insurance is supposed to provide certainty in uncertain moments. Yet for many policyholders, that certainty disappears the moment a claim is made and the fine print comes into play.

NTERPOL's Asia and South Pacific Cyber Threat Assessment Report 2025/2026 pays particular attention to the vulnerability of Pacific Island states, painting a sobering picture: countries with the least capacity to respond are increasingly targeted, and often used as unwitting stepping stones for wider criminal networks.

A recent INTERPOL cyber threat assessment makes clear that cybercrime in the Asia–Pacific region is no longer a fragmented set of localised threats—it is a highly organised, industrialised ecosystem spanning scam centres, human trafficking, infostealer malware markets, and cross‑border financial networks. New Zealand is not immune to these dynamics.

The OECD–IDI Global Project on Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) Independence offers a timely and practical re-examination of what independence really means in practice. The report provides an important opportunity to reflect on how SAIs, and other stakeholders in the accountability system can strengthen independence in today’s evolving governance context.

A July 2026 TINZ report examines how New Zealand's financial regulators disclose enforcement action and identifies practical ways to improve public accountability.

Online “Dark Practices” have become normalised. These practices manipulate users into making decisions that benefit businesses to the detriment of the consumer.

As New Zealand prepares for the 2026 General Election, Transparency International New Zealand is inviting every candidate and sitting Member of Parliament to answer ten questions on integrity, transparency and accountability.

A TINZ briefing paper argues that introducing beneficial ownership registers would close one of the country's most significant transparency gaps while strengthening efforts to combat corruption, money laundering and financial crime. It includes information garnered from responses to TINZ’s recent OIA requests

This paper sets out TINZ's assessment of the economic, reputational and law-enforcement case for closing New Zealand's beneficial ownership gap; how there have been moves improving due diligence, but reform on beneficial ownership has repeatedly stalled; and how a Beneficial Ownership register can be designed to respect legitimate privacy while closing the gap that enables abuse.

This TINZ report examines how New Zealand's financial regulators disclose enforcement action and identifies practical ways to improve public accountability.

On 30 June 2026 the OECD released its annual report ‘Drivers of Trust in Public Institutions’. Overall the picture for New Zealand is mixed.

OpenBrief aims to make New Zealand's political record easier to navigate by bringing together official public information in one searchable place. Ahead of the 2026 election, it offers voters a new way to explore candidates, funding and parliamentary activity.

What does a New Zealand financial services company have to do with a sanctioned Belarusian oligarch and a bank in Vanuatu? Two recent articles on New Zealand-based Worldclear show how investigative journalists and anti-corruption advocates are working together across borders to expose complex financial networks and promote accountability.

Pressure is mounting for New Zealand to finally introduce an Independent Fiscal Institution (IFI). The case for an IFI was highlighted by the recent spectacle of political squabbles over the cost of election year policies, diverting attention from their merits and drawbacks.

Transparency International New Zealand is calling for a minimum one year cooling-off period for Ministers and senior public servants to reduce conflicts of interest, protect sensitive information from being shared, and to increase public trust.

TINZ has taken a closer look at the use of urgency across the current National-led coalition (54th) parliament and the Labour (53rd) parliament. Both show a high use of urgency and a disturbing pattern of reduced time for public consultation.

Transparency International New Zealand is revising its approach for ongoing revisions to the National Integrity System Assessment (NISA)

This report provides an analysis of the National Integrity System to identify the systemic gaps in New Zealand's anti-corruption architecture. It uses the 13 pillars of the Transparency International (TI) National Integrity System assessment (NIS) as an organising framework.

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.

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

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.

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

Change is urgently needed to raise standards of political integrity and maintain trust in the practice of democracy. There are three priority areas: lobbying regulation, transparency of political donations and reduction in the use of urgency.

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.

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.

As currently drafted, the Bill is an important step to overcome stalled progress on modern slavery legislation in New Zealand. but we have concerns with aspects of the current drafting and believe the Bill can be strengthened further to provide a more effective framework for addressing modern slavery.

Our “Let the Sun Shine In” series will spotlight the urgent need for openness in political funding, lobbying, and disclosure ahead of this year’s general election.

Transparency International New Zealand calls on parliamentarians and political parties to re-affirm their support for essential democratic processes.

Political donation reform is urgently needed. Weak donation laws, high disclosure thresholds, and limited enforcement powers create opportunities for undue influence and erode confidence in political institutions.

On 1 May Transparency International Fiji launched a new logo, website, and strategic plan. This long awaited event signals that TI Fiji is now firmly on the path to full chapter status within the global TI movement.

As the Pacific continues to navigate a more uncertain and demanding regional and global environment we will need institutions that are trusted, leadership that is principled and policies that are informed by facts and evidence.

A fundamental question is how New Zealand’s model of parliamentary democracy can adapt and remain resilient in the social media age. This was a key point raised by Sir Peter Gluckman from The Centre for Informed Futures and President of the International Science Council in thoughts submitted for the recent Democracy Forum discussions.

New Zealand’s strong reputation for integrity is under pressure as corruption becomes more complex and less visible. Insights from the February Leaders Integrity Forum highlight why prevention—and not just enforcement—must be the focus to protect our “integrity inheritance.”

This report provides a high-level overview of corruption risks, cases, and integrity trends in New Zealand, drawing on publicly available information to inform Transparency International NZ’s advocacy and policy priorities.

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.

Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) has made a submission on New Zealand’s draft Seventh Periodic Report under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. In this submission, TINZ comments both on the draft report and more broadly on New Zealand’s ongoing commitments under the ICCPR framework.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The proposed Modern Slavery Bill aims to lift New Zealand’s integrity settings by introducing mandatory reporting, enhanced transparency, ministerial oversight and penalties for non-compliance. For boards and senior leaders, managing exploitation risk will become a core governance responsibility.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

On Friday 31, October 2025 the United Nations Association of New Zealand (UNANZ) sponsored a reception commemorating the 80th anniversary of the United Nations. James Bushell, President of UNANZ, reminded us of what truly matters.

A great present to unwrap for Christmas, MBIE is releasing their Government Procurement Dashboards.We are promised they will be live by Christmas on their website.

We have produced a short three minute video that brings together Pacific voices speaking from the heart about what real participation and strong democracy look like in our region.

In Mid November Te Kawa Mataaho (Public Service Commission) published its second Long Term Insights Briefing (LTIB). TINZ would like to see more focus on strengthening the regulatory environment and a deeper dive into integrity risks.

The Transnational Organised crime index released in November 2025 included New Zealand. This article contains a summary of the findings for New Zealand.

TINZ Submission for New Zealand Open Government Partnership National Action Plan 5. The commitments are all relevant to TINZ advocacy points. However, overall the process of developing the NAP 5 by the PSC continues to tightly control civil participation. The OGP Participation and Co-Creation Standards encourage deeper levels of engagement than is evidenced in the New Zealand NAP5 development.

TINZ has been attending consultation sessions on the proposed National Action Plan 5 (NAP 5) for the Open Government Partnership. At civil society’s urging, the Public Service Commission (PSC) opened a brief consultation on the final draft plan, which ended on 8 December.

On 12 November, TINZ held its 2024-2025 Annual General Meeting at the Wellington Club, in Wellington. Ahead of the Annual Meeting, TINZ members and guests gathered for a panel discussion examining Aotearoa’s current legislative and system safeguards against growing corruption and integrity risk

Ahead of Transparency International New Zealand’s (TINZ) 2025 Annual Meeting, TINZ members and guests gathered in Wellington for a panel discussion examining Aotearoa’s current legislative and system safeguards against growing corruption and integrity risks.

Across the Pacific, civil society continues to show that determined, principled action can shift power, strengthen democracy, and protect public resources. As we acknowledge Anti-Corruption Day, we celebrate the remarkable contributions of Transparency International chapters across the region to this action.

On December 9th 2025, the world marks International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD). This year’s theme, “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity”, highlights the vital role of young people in building fairer, more transparent societies.

The 5th Edition of the Government Procurement Rules goes live on the 1st December 2025. Using simpler language, the new edition places an increased emphasis on transparency and accountability for the spending of public money.

Strengthening democracy and curbing corruption in developing countries needs a multi-faceted approach, a new peer-reviewed paper from the US National Bureau of Economic Research shows. And, as it turns out, undermining democracy needs a similar approach — in developed countries as well.

Organised crime has become New Zealand’s top national-security threat, but new government proposals urge urgent, system-wide reform to fight back. Discover how the TSOC Advisory Group’s final report calls for bold, united action to protect our peace and prosperity.

In October, 2,000 people from more than 70 countries attended the Open Government Partnership’s Global Summit in Spain’s Basque Autonomous Community. Its theme was “a time of profound global challenges to democracy”.

In New Zealand, more and more of our personal information is being digitised and connected through the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). To maintain public trust, there must be strong transparency, accountability, and integrity in how these tools are developed and used.

Transparency International Georgia leader risks up to 15 years in prison on unfounded charges, as civil society comes under growing pressure.

The 2024-2025 Transparency International New Zealand (TINZ) Annual Report was provided to members at the Annual General Meeting on the 12th of November. TINZ's mission is to foster a New Zealand culture where transparency, integrity, good governance, and ethical standards and practices are the core values of all New Zealanders.

Sir Geoffrey Palmer KC has just published his latest book ‘How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa New Zealand’. He agreed to the publishing of a recent speech where he talked about current threats to democracy.

The Cabinet has agreed to stay in the Open Government Partnership. This is contingent on a narrowing of the scope of the NAP5, now focusing closely on four areas of the Public Sector Commission’s Integrity Action Plan.

With local elections underway, we encourage everyone to vote. We also recommend resources for local officials.

Join our webinar series about learning from those who have gone before, lifting up each other’s voices, and finding the courage to step into political spaces — from the village council to parliament.

New Zealand scores 99 out of 100 in the Freedom House Freedom in the World report. This places New Zealand behind Finland with a score of 100 and second equal with Norway and Sweden. Unsurprisingly these are countries who regularly top the Corruption Perceptions Index.

TINZ has adopted a Code of Ethical Advocacy to complement its existing ethics policies by spelling out clearly the minimum standards we expect of our organisation in our commitment to being open and ethical in our advocacy activities.

Transparency International New Zealand regularly runs Leaders Integrity Forums on issues relating to transparency, accountability, corruption-prevention and integrity. A number of times a year, public sector leaders gather at these forums.

In September 2025 the Office of the Auditor-General looked at how the Public Service Commission promotes integrity in the public service; whether the Codes of Conduct, guidance, and standards it issues are relevant, current, and easy to find and understand; and what the Commission does to ensure that public servants know about and use these documents.

In September the New Zealand Customs Service released a report from the Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime, Leading the fight against organized crime. A key message from the report is the need for a more cohesive approach.

Pacific Chapters of TI have joined their voices to call for good governance, improved electoral integrity and stronger efforts across the Pacific to prevent corruption.

Our final talanoa in the Pacific Environmental Governance Series — Safeguarding Our Pacific: Tackling Corruption and Protecting Communities — was an honest and powerful conversation about corruption, courage, and community.

The construction and infrastructure sectors regularly appear in fraud/ corruption/ misconduct investigations undertaken by the Serious Fraud Office, the NZ Police, professional tribunals and recently the Commerce Commission.

Congratulations to the Board, staff and supporters of TI Australia (TIA) which celebrated TIA’s 30th anniversary in Melbourne in late August

In a significant first, a group of United Nations human rights experts - Special Mandate Holders - have issued a joint call urging governments to strengthen transparency and civil society participation in the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption.

How can businesses in Aotearoa New Zealand grow responsibly while managing risks to people, planet and society? Find out more at the MBIE Webinar on 29 September 2025 at 2:00pm

The 2025 scholarship will help Hattie with her research on tension between corporate disobedience being used as a principled tool for societal change or simply as another vessel for corporate profit-making and influence.

AI promises efficiency in recruitment, but can it be fair? In New Zealand, organisations are beginning to experiment with AI in HR, raising urgent questions about transparency, accountability, and human oversight

TINZ is concerned that several of the proposed changes will disenfranchise citizens without reasonable justification. The legislation should also focus more on integrity, transparency and accountability in the election process. Read our submission.