Overview of this research workstream Research and polling on perceptions of integrity in politics, including public trust, elite self-assessments, and annual benchmarking reports. Purpose and activity These research outputs focus on measuring and evaluating integrity in New Zealand – including surveying former MPs and the public. Scheduled investigations: The Lead Researcher on the Integrity Measuring […]

Overview of this research workstream The Integrity Institute is producing the “NZ Lobbying and Influence Register” to assist the public in scrutinising elite political participants. The register details the political activities and influence of companies, lobbying firms, and interest groups, ethos-wise, as “sunlight is the best disinfectant” against corruption and the outsized influence of vested

Overview of this research workstream Critical assessments of how government agencies serve — or fail to serve — the public interest, focusing on cronyism, regulatory capture, and misuse of procurement. Purpose and activity How well do government agencies perform in protecting and advancing the public interest? Or do they aid vested interests? These outputs examine

Overview of this research workstream Scrutiny of the Executive branch of government will be carried out in this workstream. We will focus on the question of “who has the ear of government?”, with attention to the published ministerial diaries, evaluating the transparency of the government, and looking at who is benefiting from the government of

Overview of this research workstream Tracking how individuals move between the public and private sectors, particularly into lobbying and advocacy roles, using the “Web of Influence” database. Purpose and activity Very little attention has been put into the “revolving door” in New Zealand, in which individuals shift between influential public and private sector roles. Utilising

Overview of this research workstream Donations made to politicians and political parties are a core mechanism for the way that vested interests are able to influence the political process in New Zealand. Therefore, this workstream is the second-largest for The Integrity Institute in terms of our resource utilisation. Purpose and activity We are going to

Overview of this research workstream Investigating the role of wealth in shaping political outcomes, from MPs’ own financial interests to state subsidies and corporate elites. Purpose and activity These investigations focus on business and wealthy individuals. We will research and scrutinise those with wealth and its impact on the political process. This includes the wealth

Overview of this research workstream We will become a one-stop-shop for information about the political power of lobbyists, corporations, think tanks, and community organisations.   Purpose and activity   This workstream focuses on organised interests in New Zealand that have an influence on politics and society – mainly what are normally termed “interest groups”, “corporate