Date/Time
Date(s) - Tue 31 March
10:00 - 11:00
Health Coalition Aotearoa is hosting the first webinar in its 2026 Investing in Prevention series, focusing on lobbying and transparency.
Part of HCA’s Investing in Prevention 2026 webinar series
Aotearoa New Zealand remains an international outlier when it comes to regulating lobbying. This webinar will examine why transparent and balanced policymaking matters for public trust — and how hidden influence can shape policy decisions with real consequences for health and equity.
The session will be a moderated, question-led discussion, drawing on both Aotearoa and international experience, rather than formal presentations.
Register now
Panel:
Professor Gary Murphy
Gary Murphy is a Professor of Politics in the School of Law and Government at Dublin City University and one of Ireland’s leading experts on lobbying regulation. He is the co-author of the widely acclaimed book Regulating Lobbying: A Global Comparison, now in its second edition. He acted as an adviser to the Irish Government on the introduction of the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 and has appeared before parliamentary committees in Ireland and internationally on lobbying, electoral reform and democratic accountability. Professor Murphy is a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and a regular political commentator and analyst in Irish media, where he write a weekly column for the Sunday Times.
Max Rashbrooke
Max Rashbrooke is a Wellington-based writer, researcher and public intellectual focused on democratic renewal and inequality. He is the author of several books on politics and public policy, including Too Much Money and Government for the Public Good, and is a frequent commentator in New Zealand media. Max authored Health Coalition Aotearoa’s report A Balance of Voices: options for the regulation of lobbying in New Zealand, which examines international approaches and reform options for Aotearoa.
Julie Haggie
Julie Haggie is Executive Director of Transparency International New Zealand, a civil society organisation working to strengthen integrity, transparency and accountability in public institutions and decision-making in Aotearoa. Transparency International New Zealand is a country chapter in the global movement of TI. TINZ focuses on issues including national integrity systems, illicit financial flows, corruption prevention efforts, transparency in lobbying and public procurement and strengthening democratic accountability. Julie has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles across regulatory, professional and NGO sectors, and brings a governance and integrity lens to discussions about lobbying, public policy and democratic participation.
Yee-Fui Ng
Yee-Fui Ng is an Associate Professor at Monash University who researches in the areas of public law and political integrity, and a 2021-22 Fulbright Scholar. She is the author of Combatting the Code: Regulating Automated Government Decision-Making in Comparative Context (Cambridge University Press, 2025), The Rise of Political Advisors in the Westminster System (Routledge, 2018) and Ministerial Advisers in Australia: The Modern Legal Context (Federation Press, 2016), which was a Holt Prize finalist.
Chris Finlayson KC
Chris Finlayson has had a distinguished career in law, politics, and the arts. He graduated from Victoria University with an LLB and BA (Latin) in 1984, later earning an LLM and, in 2020, an honorary LLD. He practised as a commercial lawyer at Brandon Brookfield and Bell Gully, becoming a partner at both firms.
Elected to Parliament in 2005, Finlayson served in the National Government until 2017, holding senior roles including Attorney-General and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations. He is a leading legal author, including as a foundation author of McGechan on Procedure, and has written widely on law, politics, and Crown–Māori relations.
Finlayson has also made significant contributions to the arts, serving as Chair of Creative New Zealand and continuing in governance roles, including with the Sarjeant Gallery Trust.