Matt Raskovic, Professor of International Business and Strategy at Auckland University of Technology, has been invited to speak at a democracy forum at the New Zealand Parliament on 23 March 2026. The event will bring together leading thinkers to share ideas on how to preserve and strengthen democracy.

As part of a panel session, “An inclusive and cohesive New Zealand”, Raskovic will contribute to a VALPOP-related discussion on the links between corruption, populism and social cohesion.

Low-corruption countries face rising perception risks

Raskovic has recently addressed the relationship between perceived corruption and social trust in an article for The Conversation, written in response to New Zealand’s decline in global, perceived-corruption rankings. This trend is also evident across several other high-performing, low-corruption countries.

In addition to addressing national vulnerabilities and potential solutions, such as establishing an anti-corruption agency, the article highlights a broader issue: how public trust in politics shapes perceptions of corruption and how “any government will need to pay more attention to fighting real or perceived corruption more effectively”.

For example, although New Zealand has a relatively strong anti-corruption baseline, ranking 4th out of 182 countries, certain weaknesses remain: lax lobbying rules and a lack of timely, detailed disclosure of donations to political parties highlight how special interest groups and vested interests can erode public trust in the political system and contribute to potential state capture, even in countries with robust institutions and a high level of institutional integrity. Additionally, in some countries, corruption can also develop through the relaxation of ministerial discretion and the fast-tracking of processes.

Forum addresses ways to strengthen governance

These issues are among those discussed at the democracy forum, which will also explore ways to improve transparency, bolster citizen participation and enhance public access to decision-making processes, all of which will help to prevent corruption.

The event is organised by Duncan Webb, Deputy Shadow Leader of the House and Labour Party spokesperson for Justice, Regulation and the Natural Hazards Commission and Dr Vanessa Weenink, MP, National Party.