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.

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.

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.

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.

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”.