Greens propose greater scrutiny of lobbyists and aims to ‘get big money and influence out of politics’

The Green Party is proposing a package of reforms to “get big money and influence out of politics,” including capping donations at $30,000 and having a stand-down period for former ministers before they can lobby.

"Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. Right now, a handful of very rich and powerful people and corporations can buy access and influence the government for their benefit," Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says.

Davidson says successive governments have changed electoral rules to suit themselves and done nothing about big corporate money in politics. Among the Greens' proposals is the establishment of a Lobbying Integrity Commission.

“We have to get big money out of politics.”

The party wants to:

• Cap donations at $30,000 from one person to a party and its candidates over an election cycle
• Stop companies, trusts and other organisations donating, with only individuals able to make donations
• Publish the name and postcode of donors who give more than $1000 a year - down from $6000 now
• Create a public register of professional lobbyists who will have to report every four months on who they lobbied and what they were lobbying for
• Bring in a two-year stand-down period for former ministers before they can lobby while other MPs, ministerial staff and senior public servants have to wait a year
• Establish an independent Lobbying Integrity Commission which would run the register, write the code of conduct and enforce the rules

These changes would be made through two Bills - the Electoral (Donations) Amendment Bill and the Regulation of Lobbying Bill.

Davidson says the party’s ideas are not new, with the Independent Electoral Review having called for a cap on donations in 2023 and a lower disclosure threshold. She says the Electoral (Donations) Amendment Bill “puts into law the changes experts have been calling on Parliament to pass for years.”

Meanwhile Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the Regulation of Lobbying Bill would put professional lobbyists on a public register.

"While lobbying is legal and a part of politics, the problem is that almost none of it is on the record."

"Other countries have been doing this for years. It's time we caught up,” Swarbrick says. "Real estate agents, lawyers and electricians all have to meet professional standards, and lobbyists should too."

“Parliament is supposed to work for New Zealanders, not just lobbyist interests,” she says.

Asked about the Opportunity Party, which also has proposals around donations, Davidson told reporters: “We feel very humbled when people copy long-standing work that we have been doing.”

The Green Party’s proposal, Davidson says, was about levelling the rules for all political parties, groups and organisations that they work with.

“We do want to capture everyone. We want to change the rules so that everyone has to play by the same ones.”