Following an RNZ investigation, the government has started to shine a spotlight on one of its more open secrets: political lobbying.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has commissioned long-term work on regulating the industry, which includes a code of conduct, and removing lobbyists' swipe card access to Parliament.
Lobbyists are people employed by companies or industries to present their concerns to government officials and politicians, particularly when legislation is being considered.
But Act leader David Seymour (Ngāpuhi) sees lobbying as just a part of the wider economy although when asked what the impact is for Māori businesses who may not have the same financial backing as other businesses to influence political outcomes, he says it is negative.
He says one of the reasons he believes in free markets is because they create opportunity. "They give everyone more of a shot at creating something new and, if you're starting off a long way behind, then you want to be in a growing economy and I just look at how Ngāi Tahu and Tainui have succeeded over the past 30 years. They've done that in a quite dynamic period of New Zealand history.
"For the 50 years before that, the economy was locked down and you had to have a licence to produce something. You had to get permission for this or that. It was actually quite difficult for Māori to advance. Most of the Māori advancement happened in a period of New Zealand history when the economy was freer than it was for most of the 20th century. So freedom and opportunity are good if you're starting off with less in the bank as you've got more to gain. It's bad if you've got more in the banks and more to lose because there is more competition.
“When it comes to lobbying, that’s a minor part of this argument that the more complicated it is to get heard, then if you’re someone who doesn’t start off in an advantageous position, you’re going to be more behind if there’s more bureaucracy to navigate.”
Seymour on Ardern’s political legacy
Seymour is no stranger to political barbs and jabs in the chamber against former prime minister Jacinda Ardern.
As she approaches her final hours in Parliament with a valedictory speech to be presented later this evening, Seymour reflected on her work, saying that there hadn’t been a “negative personal relationship” between the two.
“But I think the reason that people have found that quite confusing is, while I don’t have any personal opposition to her, I think she’s been a disaster.
“I look at New Zealand today, I look at housing. If there’s one thing this government can’t do, you cast your mind back to 2017, it was kids sleeping in cars and garages because house prices were expensive. Fast forward six years – that problem hasn’t been solved.”
He also believes the country has been more divided due to many of her government’s actions on co-governance with Māori. And while he doesn’t disagree that past wrongdoings should be acknowledged, “the question is: Do you do that in a liberal democratic framework or do you do it in Tiriti-centric Aotearoa”?
“New Zealand is the only country I know about that is constantly passing laws that seek to categorise and divide people up.”
