43713 (2024). Hon Dr Duncan Webb to the Minister of Justice

43713 (2024). Hon Dr Duncan Webb to the Minister of Justice: Will the minister consider a mandatory register of lobbyists in light of the OECD ranking of New Zealand being 7th worst for transparency in respect of lobbying?

Hon Paul Goldsmith: Across a range of international indexes, New Zealand ranks as a world-leader in trust and confidence in government. OECD data shows New Zealanders have high trust in public institutions compared to many other countries. There are many ways that New Zealand supports public trust in our democracy, including through proactive release of Ministerial diaries, conflict of interest policies and controls on political financing. Several key documents and legislation have elements addressing political lobbying, including the Cabinet Manual, Public Service Code of Conduct, Crimes Act 1961, Public Finance Act 1989, and Public Service Act 2020. Work on options for the regulation of lobbying will be considered alongside the Government’s other priorities.