An interest group could be best defined in NZ as:
- A. Any group or individual that communicates with an elected or appointed Government representatives about the formulation, modification or adoption of any legislation, rule, regulation, executive order or position of the Government.’
Explicitly excluded should be communications made by individuals on their own behalf, or any communications made in a public forum.
An alternative construction, that includes the condition of a mandate, is:
- B. Any group, or elected, appointed or employed individual that communicates with an elected government representative about the formulation, modification or adoption of any legislation, rule, regulation, executive order or position of the Government’.
Explicitly excluded in this second construction are any communications made in a public forum.
Recommendation A is preferred to B because it is less complicated and makes better use of exemptions. The exemptions could be extended to cover elected government representatives, or other individuals or groups, though such extension should be carefully considered given potential for corruption where elected representative enjoy unmonitored privileges.
