The Lobbying Disclosure Bill: a solution for a problem that doesn't exist

Three years ago, on 13 June 2011 Green MP Sue Kedgley launched a campaign and released a members’ bill to establish a publicly-accessible register of lobbyists. It was claimed to be ‘all part of our campaign for more open, transparent, and honest politics’ (Green Party, 2011). The Lobbying Disclosure Bill was eventually introduced into Parliament, but failed to win enough support to be passed. It is timely to investigate why an attempt to introduce rules on lobbying, which exist in many Western countries, met with little support here. What, perhaps, is unique about New Zealand society and the public’s interaction with the political world that has led to a less than enthusiastic interest in the need for regulation of those who lobby? Was the Greens’ bill a solution to a problem that didn’t exist?