"A Revolt against oligarchy..."

These are the findings from the 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer, an annual global survey of confidence in institutions. These are big percentages, and a good sign in my opinion. The question remains though - where to from here?:

"New Zealand is in the throes of a trust crisis. Trust in government is down to 45%, business sits at 54%, and trust in media has collapsed to a mere 35%."

"...New Zealand’s overall trust index has fallen into outright distrust territory – dropping to 47%, below the global average of 56%. Perhaps most telling, a full 67% of New Zealanders report moderate to high levels of grievance toward institutions, believing that government, business and “the wealthy” actively disadvantage ordinary people. Such findings point to a country “divided by mistrust,” where scepticism has deepened into a pervasive sense that the system is rigged in favour of an elite few."

"Three psychosocial factors accompany the wave of grievance, she says: a lack of hope for the next generation, a lack of trust in leaders, and a worry that leaders are wilfully lying to the public."

"... 61% worry that officials and business leaders are purposely misleading the public. A striking 68% also feel it’s becoming harder to tell whether news comes from reputable sources or those trying to deceive. In short, Kiwis are losing confidence not just in what leaders say, but in the very integrity of the institutions those leaders represent."

https://democracyproject.substack.com/p/integrity-briefing-nzs-trust-crisis