This is edition 2025/70 of the Ten@10 newsletter.
Welcome back. It's 2025 and 20 years since I started writing about politics and anything else that took my fancy. Thank to my VIP members for making this site what it is today. In July we will be having a 20th birthday celebration. Stay tuned for more announcements.
This is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.
Enjoy!
1. Can New Zealand avoid kleptocracy?
Bryce Edwards
- 🔍 Lucy Rogers highlighted significant issues with police oversight and
- 💼 Kleptocracy, a term gaining international traction, describes governments where corrupt leaders exploit power for personal gain, often by misappropriating public funds.
- 🏛️ Recent cases in New Zealand, like Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown's lucrative contract with his campaign manager, highlight alarming conflicts of interest and lax ethical standards.
- 💰 Brown's undisclosed business ties and the ease with which public funds flow to political allies underscore systemic risks of corruption.
- 🌍 Globally, experts like Anne Applebaum warn of a trend towards kleptocracy, even in established democracies, citing examples under leaders like Trump.
- 🕵️♀️ Journalist Laura Walters critiques New Zealand's weak integrity systems, highlighting cases of ministerial conflicts that expose vulnerabilities in our governance.
- 🔄 New Zealand's cultural and institutional complacency towards conflicts of interest fosters a revolving door between politics and private interests, fueling ethical lapses.
- 🛡️ Proposed reforms by Health Coalition Aotearoa advocate for stricter integrity rules and an independent oversight body to safeguard against corruption and restore public trust.
