In August 2024 TINZ released a significant research report as part of our National Integrity System Assessment work programme. This work deserves ongoing attention.
Major recommendations in the report are:
- We need a zeitgeist shift in thinking about anti-corruption in New Zealand towards positive prevention.
- Government should appropriately fund a single agency with the primary and high-profile responsibility for anti-corruption monitoring, coordination, research and strategic operations.
- That agency should lead development of an overall anti-corruption strategy that is clear and drives action such as monitoring, sharing, early warning systems, and institutional systems that are particularly vulnerable.
- Other recommendations include a review of the Official Information Act; a public register of beneficial ownership of companies, limited partnerships and trusts and greater transparency of both political financing and lobbying. Media is also noted as an area of considerable weakness.
These findings are due to Aotearoa New Zealand's historically low levels of corruption which encourage complacency and a reactive approach to policy making at top levels of politics and the public service.
Researcher, Dr Simon Chapple considered concepts and measures of corruption and whether perceptions match with reality. He looked at changing threats, as well as progress against past assessments. He sought the opinions of experts to be able to comment on the effectiveness of core anti corruption institutions.
“This is a wake up call,” says Debbie Gee, Deputy Chair of Transparency International New Zealand. “Our low level of corruption in New Zealand is a key asset from which we all benefit. We are not protecting it against rising corruption within and outside New Zealand.”
The report considers external threats and ‘imported corruption' as well as internal weaknesses. A greater proportion of our foreign trade is with countries that have high levels of corruption. We are also seeing growth in political polarisation, and a weakening of the general multi-lateral cooperative world. Internally our weaknesses lie in the dominant Executive and a weak Parliament as well as general complacency.
"How Well Do We Counter Corruption National Integrity System Assessment" is available as a research brief with the full report available here.
The release of our report coincided with a visit from François Valérian, Global Chair of Transparency International in August.
We launched the report at a Wellington anti-corruption forum where François talked about the global economy of corruption and the trillions of dollars of corrupt money across the world, Simon presented the highlights of his research and Andrew McConnell, the Deputy-Auditor General led a panel discussion. The panel members were from the Serious Fraud Office, NZ Police and the Ministry of Justice - the core agencies with anti-corruption responsibilities in the New Zealand anti-corruption ecosystem.
This incredible webinar is a worthwhile view.
