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Books & articles
Books
I was invited by Victoria University of Wellington's politics Professor Stephen Levine to contribute a chapter to a book about the 2023 general election.
In my chapter, I write that while there are always many and varied issues that contribute to the polling day outcome, the lack of integrity in the sixth Labour Government, certainly contributed to its significant loss. The Ministerial issues were spectacular and attracted high levels of public interest, but wider integrity issues were also at play in the lead-up to the general election. Investigations into lobbying and political party funding were also a feature of 2023. There were five referrals to Parliament’s Privileges Committee – two of them Ministerial and there were a range of candidate selection scandals – across the political spectrum. There was a range of poor behaviour – from bullying to nepotism and conflicts of interest. Read my chapter for my analysis of political integrity and the 2023 election.
articles
2024
12 January - Shoplifting allegation damage already done
8 May - Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
16 September - Politicians need to lift their game
16 October - Scandals contributed to Labour’s election defeat
2023
27 February - Scandal and stretching the truth
16 March - Integrity issues at heart of resignation28 March - Integrity of politicians deserves scrutiny29 March - Broken trust led to sacking
6 April - The personal is political
24 April - Candidate selection processes under fire - again
9 May - Political integrity lost in resignation
6 June - Why Parliament's rules matter
8 June - The privilege of power
26 June - Rules can't restore personal integrity
2022
13 April - Communications teams in a democracy
4 October - Local elections matter
9 August - Personal integrity in politics
2021
16 December - The occupational backgrounds of politicians