Registers of lobbyists in Australia should include all who lobby regularly, whether for a client, a peak body, union or other employer. Lobbyists on the register should declare who and what they are lobbying for.
In this submission to NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), Grattan’s Danielle Wood and Kate Griffiths say that, wherever possible, the burden of regulation should be borne by the lobbied rather than the lobbyist. The goal is not to deter advocacy but to underscore the responsibilities of public officials. However, lobbyists should be required to abide by minimum ethical standards of conduct.
All public officials – including MPs – should be obliged to act with integrity and fairness and uphold public trust, including in dealings with lobbyists.