Little or no corruption law enforcement

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NEWS

New Zealand is among 21 of 37 countries across the developed world which have "little or no enforcement" of anti-corruption laws, reads a new report.

The report comes from Transparency International, the world's leading anti-corruption organisation.

Unlike similar reports of a global nature, the TI report last year named names, but could not do the same this year:

"One case and one investigation were initiated in 2010 but no details are available. In the 2010 report two investigations were reported. The first was an investigation of SP Trading Limited. This case involved a New Zealand shell company allegedly implicated in the sale of 35 tonnes of North Korean explosives and anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. The police and the Serious Fraud Office undertook an investigation, which has been completed without any resulting prosecution. The second investigation concerned possible involvement of a New Zealand company in connection with allegations that Hewlett Packard had paid bribes to secure a contract in Russia. According to the TI expert, government officials have indicated that New Zealand’s involvement in that investigation has ended."

As well as a lack of enforcement, TI said that experts had again "found significant inadequacies in the legal framework for prohibiting foreign bribery."

Problems highlighted in the report involving New Zealand include:

Inadequate resources.
Decentralised or uncoordinated enforcement.
Inadequate complaints system and/or whistle-blower protection.
Lack of awareness-raising.
Lack of access to information about the number of foreign bribery cases.
Information on status of cases and other details is not systematically accessible.

The report appears to show that New Zealanders object to allegations of corruption - including the TI "expert" who is said to have stated that "criticism is not warranted" when it comes to New Zealand bribery overseas.

Press release: New report shows progress on enforcement of OECD bribery convention has stalled

Full report : Progress Report 2011: Enforcement of the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention

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new zealand growing up poorly

New Zealand performs poorly compared with other first world countries but the latest research ignores economic factors.

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COMMENT

Growing Up in New Zealand - a survey launched in 2008 - challenges "much rhetoric" about early childhood in so-called Godzone.


"Although a developed country, New Zealand faces real challenges in health, welfare and education, and
performs poorly in OECD rankings in several of these parameters."


Professor Stuart McCutcheon, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Auckland says that more than 7,000 babies have been "recruited" into the study.

"Their parents have volunteered their time over the next 21 years to provide insights into their lives and those of their children."

RHETORIC

First findings from the survey however point to politically sensitive outcomes.


"Information from the first of many interviews in this study challenges much of our traditional rhetoric about growing up in New Zealand," reads an executive summary of the 101 page report.

Study Director Susan Morton said there were "many" wonderful things about growing up in New Zealand, but added, there are also some "negative things" such as poorer health and school achievement among Māori and Pacific children and those from "impoverished families."

INEQUALITY


The initial research shows "inequality" among children before they are even born. It starts with the access their pregnant mums have to information and help.

"Nearly half of the mums in deprived areas were not aware of the Working for Families tax credit."

Despite highlighting that lack of financial information, the report only mentions economic factors four times, compared with 40 mentions for antenatal factors.

INEQUITY

Previously identified as one of the most economically unequal countries in the OECD, New Zealand researchers however seem reluctant to question economic orthodoxies. Morton refers to "impoverished" families, in a message on the website, but the word does not appear in the study itself.

"Poverty" is mentioned once, in the appendix, considering "appropriate policy initiatives to address outcomes related to the wider influences on development including family structure and support, poverty and financial stress, social networks, cultural affiliation, physical environments and the media."


Even the word "poor" - as in 'performing poorly' - is not used in the economic sense. The only reference to OECD after the foreword refers to immunisation, not economics. Responses to the study findings via the Science Media Centre also ignore poverty.

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Spot the missing link

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COMMENT
by jason brown, 100% PNZC editor






Scroll down the list below and spot which country link is missing.


Offshore banks in Niue and the Cook Islands, staffed mostly by Kiwis, anyone?


Australia, the country we are supposed to be catching up to, according to Prime Minister John Key, leads from the front.


OECD anti-brbery signatories:





Country database: anti-corruption resources in the Initiative's member jurisdictions

The database on anti-corruption resources in the Inititative's member countries and economies is currently being updated, and the available countrysheets will be enhanced.  Australia  Bangladesh  Bhutan  Cambodia  China, People's Republic  Cook Islands  Fiji Islands  Hong Kong, China  India  Indonesia  Japan  Kazakhstan  Korea  Kyrgyz Republic  Macao, China  Malaysia  Mongolia  Nepal  Pakistan  Palau  Papua New Guinea  Philippines  Samoa  Singapore  Sri Lanka  Thailand  Vanuatu  Vietnam

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