The Government's 'doing deals' at the expense of transparency says an academic.

LISTEN ABOVE: Suzanne Snively, Chair at Transparency International NZ joins Rachel Smalley to discuss corruption in New Zealand.

Dealings with Saudi sheep farmers, Hollywood, and Judith Collins' relationship with Chinese company Oravida are likely to have played a part in making the country look more corrupt, with New Zealand dropping down anti-corruption scales.

That's what an ethics professor's saying after Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index for 2016 ranked New Zealand as the fourth least corrupt country in the world - our worst ranking since 1998.

Associate Professor Tim Dare said it's because there's more of a willingness in the current government to 'do deals'.

He said the government has goals such as strengthening ties with Hollywood and are prepared to do deals not offered to others to bring that about.

Professor Dare said the building of the Sky City Convention Centre was carried out with contracts behind closed doors.

He said the current government is much more inclined to 'do deals' as opposed to go through a normal open business process.