Prime Minister Chris Hipkins plans a crackdown on lobbying at Parliament, including removing swipe card access for lobbyists.
Lobbyists’ swipe cards for Parliament will be cancelled to better regulate their access to politicians, Hipkins said. This includes business, non-government sector and union representatives.
“New Zealand is an outlier internationally in our regulation of lobbying,” he said.
Hipkins is also calling on third-party lobbyists to develop a voluntary code of conduct. The Cabinet manual would also be updated to make it clear that ministers’ decisions should not be influenced by the prospect or expectation of future employment with a particular organisation or sector.
READ MORE:
* Timeline: The events that cost Stuart Nash his career, and how they unfolded
* Chris Hipkins says it was ‘a cock up’, not ‘a conspiracy’, to overlook Stuart Nash donor emails
* PM Chris Hipkins faces pressure to answer questions over Stuart Nash scandal
As a longer-term measure, Hipkins has commissioned “a major piece of work” to look at policy options for regulating lobbying activities.
“To do it well, will require considerable work and consultation and I anticipate the advice coming back in 2024,” he said.
The announcement comes after embattled MP Stuart Nash announced he was leaving politics.
Nash was first stripped of his police portfolio and then Hipkins on Tuesday sacked him from Cabinet for a series of missteps and mishandling an OIA.
In 2020, Nash emailed two donors the details of confidential Cabinet discussions, a clear breach of the manual.
The scandal has put the role of the OIA and lobbyists in the spotlight and sparked an investigation into Nash to ensure there were no other Cabinet breaches to donors.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has announced measures to tighten up rules around lobbyists in Parliament.
The Ombudsman has also reopened his investigation.
