Green co-leader James Shaw recently announced two important new transparency measures which will apply to Green Party ministers, MPs and staff to help show what he says is the influence of money in politics. Also, ministers, MPs and staff will not accept corporate hospitality, such as free tickets to events unrelated to their work. A Labour Party staff member, a key part of the coalition negotiating team, left Parliament to become a political lobbyist. The same went for a former National Party official from the office of prime ministers Sir John Key and Bill English. However, the party must be congratulated and voters should push hard for other ministers and MPs to also start opening their diaries.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 07, 2018 16:41 UTC