Australia’s lobbying rules ignore most lobbyists. It’s time for an overhaul

The secret world of political lobbying has been thrown into the spotlight by ABC Four Corners this week .

The program examined the loopholes in lobbying regulations in the context of the Albanese government’s recent gambling reforms.

Today, new research from the Australian Democracy Network uncovers core flaws in Australia’s lobbying rules.

The current system allows powerful people, organisations and corporations to attempt to influence government decision-making covertly.

It makes it almost impossible for the public to know who is shaping important policy and why.

Lobbying in Australia Lobbying is any activity carried out to influence a government or institution’s policies and decisions in favour of a specific cause or outcome.

In Australia, anyone can lobby governments and has a right to represent their views.

This is crucial to a healthy democracy.

But Australians also have a right to know who is trying to influence their government.

Not everyone has the same opportunities to access and influence government.

Former ministers and senior advisors that become lobbyists can offer government experience and the professional networks that accompany it.

Under the current system, commercial interests can pay for that political access and influence in ways ordinary people cannot.

Because there are no records of lobbyists’ meetings with ministers and members of parliament, we have no way of knowing the purpose or outcomes of these meetings, what was discussed, or what tactics might be being used to persuade government ministers to act in line with a lobbyists’s vested interest.

Without safeguards, vested interests can influence government without the public knowing about it.