Source: Health Coalition Aotearoa
The OECD gave New Zealand a zero rating for its lack of policies to manage the risks of lobbying. In an upcoming webinar, politicians from across the political spectrum will be asked what they will do to improve this dire situation.
Health Coalition Aotearoa is hosting the free lunchtime webinar on 5 October to give political parties an opportunity to present their visions and policies for lobbying reform.
“Out of 47 OECD countries, we are bottom of the class when most countries have already enacted laws and regulations,” says Health Coalition Aotearoa co-chair Professor Boyd Swinburn. See OECD Economics Working Paper 2026.
“None of these lobbying regulations, including in places like Ireland, Australia, Canada or France, are perfect, but they do create transparency and accountability.”
The webinar comes at a time when Aotearoa New Zealand faces a health system crisis that could be eased by policies addressing tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food. However, vested interest lobbying is a major reason why successive governments have failed to act.
One in four years of healthy living lost to early deaths and disability is due to tobacco, obesity and unhealthy food, and alcohol.
“It doesn’t have to be this way if politicians put people ahead of the profits of harmful industries,” says Swinburn.
Despite clear evidence, successive governments have failed to focus on prevention. The result is a system that creates enormous health harm, disproportionately experienced by Māori, Pacific people, lower socioeconomic communities and children.
Examples include tobacco policy. Tobacco remains the cause of seven percent of years of healthy life lost to death and disability in Aotearoa, yet the current government repealed globally leading smokefree legislation.
In the past three years, as this Government has introduced further industry-friendly policies, New Zealand has fallen from second to 53rd place in the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index.
Alcohol is another area where vested interest lobbying has successfully stalled prevention policies. Alcohol costs Aotearoa $9.1 billion each year through harm to physical and mental health, whānau, communities and society. Much of this could be prevented through reform of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act, yet recent law changes risk increasing availability and reducing community voice. This is despite 900 deaths and 30,000 hospitalisations each year attributable to alcohol. (Health NZ Report 2024.)
Without a public register of lobbyists, a mandatory code of conduct, restrictions on the revolving door between government and lobbying firms, and an Integrity Commission with teeth, commercial interests will continue to hold outsized influence over public policy and health decisions.
Party spokespeople from ACT, NZ First, TOP, Labour, Green Party, and Te Pāti Māori have so far confirmed they will join the webinar.
You are invited: The session will be a moderated discussion with time for audience Q&A.
Event details
Date: Monday, 5 October 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM NZT
Format: Online via Zoom Panel
Confirmed Parties: ACT, NZ First, TOP, Labour, Greens Te Pāti Māori
Cost: Free (Registration required)
Register: Eventbrite