Political transparency underpins public trust

Koi Tū welcomes the new Helen Clark Foundation report released this week which calls for stronger laws and regulations to improve trust and confidence in political decision-making.

Koi Tū director Sir Peter Gluckman says democracies worldwide face increasing social polarisation and declining trust in political institutions. In New Zealand, our society is challenged by growing inequalities, declining social cohesion, and ecological degradation.

He says institutional and social trust are both needed for a democratic society to be resilient and cohesive.

“How a government behaves affects social trust. Where social trust breaks down institutional trust is generally lost, providing a breeding ground for autocratic and populist leaders,” he says.

As a think tank at the University of Auckland, Koi Tū focuses on social cohesion, societal resilience and improving democratic decision-making.

The Helen Clark Foundation report echoes findings in previous Koi Tū discussion papers.

Addressing the challenges to social cohesion argues New Zealand has a “shallow” democracy, with its unchecked single house of parliament, weak parliamentary committees whose government members are anxious to be seen to be team players and an opposition more intent on political objectives than broader policy discussions.

Sustaining Aotearoa NZ as a cohesive Society calls for a political accord to improve parliamentary processes and political discourse and lists several actions to increase New Zealand’s social cohesion and resilience.

Sir Peter says there are a range of factors potentially threatening our society’s resilience, and we need to find solutions that are specific to the cultural, social, and political context of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

He suggests that new democratic approaches, such as citizens’ assemblies, could transform local and national conversations, promote citizen engagement and enhance the quality of decision-making.