Centre for Public Integrity chair calls for lobbying reform

Anthony Whealy, chair of the Centre for Public Integrity, has criticized the Australian federal lobbying regime, describing it as a ‘broken system’. The critique follows comments by Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy, who asserted that the current lobbying framework under the Albanese Labor government is strong.

Whealy argues that while lobbying is an essential part of policymaking for accessing expertise, the current Lobbying Code of Conduct lacks transparency and accountability. Key concerns include the absence of enforceable sanctions beyond deregistration, the failure to capture in-house lobbyists within the regulatory regime, and a lack of transparency regarding ministerial interactions with lobbyists. Whealy also highlighted the ‘revolving-door’ phenomenon as a source of potential conflicts of interest and undue influence.