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With RNZ revelations today of harmful industries lobbying
policymakers and Ministers via commercial firms, health
groups are launching
a series of urgent recommendations to regulate lobbying in
Aotearoa. Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) Board Co-Chair
Professor Boyd Swinburn said this was needed to reduce
harmful industries’ excessive and shady lobbying access
and protect the health of everyday New
Zealanders.
“For too long now the influence of the
alcohol and unhealthy food lobby has been treated as
business as normal via access to decision makers and
officials. Guyon Espiner’s work adds to the evidence of
their overly cosy relationships” Professor Swinburn
said.
“Health Coalition Aotearoa and other advocates
began work to limit revolving doors last year when Cabinet
Minister Kris Fa’afoi sat on strong alcohol reform
recommendations for many years then dropped straight into
being a hired gun for commercial clients.”
“The
recommendations we are launching today pull together the
expertise of leaders in health, transparency, and
constitutional law to bring Aotearoa up to the standards of
democracy expected in other countries like Ireland, Canada,
UK and Australia. This policy package is much broader than
just reducing the impact of health-harming products and
industries, although this is Health Coalition Aotearoa’s
main area of focus.”
“Our recommendations will protect
the health of citizens from the harmful influence of the
alcohol and ultra-processed food industries, which along
with tobacco are responsible for one third of preventable
death and disease in New Zealand. Unlike tobacco policy,
which is blocked from lobbying influence by international
agreements there is zero local regulation of the lobbying
interests of other big industries.”
The expert group
identified three main areas for action. Firstly, a law to
regulate lobbying, with lobbyists register, consideration of
a stand-down period, codes of conduct and an Integrity
Commissioner. Secondly, stronger conflict processes and
appointment procedures for public positions, external
government appointments and consultants. And finally,
amendments to the OIA including having it overseen by an
Information Commissioner.
Board Co-Chair Associate
Professor Lisa Te Morenga says that uneven access to
decision-makers has equity implications for Māori who bear
the brunt of inaction in public health policy.
“There
is a sense that without a legal and regulatory system for
lobbying, those with less economic power or social privilege
are left with inequitable and unequal access to shaping
policy or influencing decision-making” she said.
“We’d
like to see greater transparency around whose interests are
being represented to the Crown- this is a Pākehā- built
system and clearly the Crown’s responsibility to
fix.”
HCA Roopuu Apaarangi Waipiro (Alcohol) Expert
Panel Chair Steve Randerson agrees and says it paints an
ugly picture of inappropriate alcohol industry access to
Ministers and their officials.
“We’ve previously
seen big alcohol, especially supermarkets, steamroll
community wishes with court action to stop local alcohol
policies. Now we see just how wide open the gates are to
alcohol industry lobbyists at the national policy level.
That raises concerning questions for me about their level of
influence when the alcohol reforms recommended three times
in the last 13 years have just been shelved again despite
the strong evidence of health harm.”
“The current lack
of regulation leaves communities on an unequal footing with
industry, even when these communities which suffer the most
health and social harm have faithfully engaged in every
government review with little change. It’s time for equity
to be clearly put ahead of commercial interests in the
policy processes that are so important to our
health.”
To read the policy recommendations: https://www.healthcoalition.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Integrity-Protection-for-Public-Policymaking.pdf.
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