New Zealand is ranked second equal with Finland in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index, Denmark is now clearly at the top of the ranking. New Zealand’s score dropped one point to 87 while Denmark improved by 2 points scoring 90.

TINZ is generally supportive of the legislation. If it works as the Bill intends it should support the Minister of Defence’s responsibility to have oversight of the Defence forces with a level of independent scrutiny and a range of investigative powers. Our concerns with the wording lie in the transparency of the process and lack of public reporting. We think that this can be provided without compromising national security concerns. That is the main focus of our brief comments.

Pacific Island countries face particular corruption risks given their relatively small populations, dependence on natural resources, vulnerability to natural disasters and recent transition to democracy. However, evidence about levels and patterns of corruption is still limited.