fbpx

SIGN THE PETITION
OVERHAUL OUR DODGY LOBBYING LAWS

In Australia, big business groups are using professional lobbying to sway decision makers to serve their own interests, rather than what’s best for the broader community. 

We need stronger regulations on professional lobbying, with proper enforcement, to make our democracy more transparent and fair.

A recent Senate Inquiry looking into access to Parliament House by lobbyists received over three hundred submissions calling for the government to strengthen our lobbying laws.

Unfortunately, the committee chose to sit on their hands, only recommending yet another review, rather than any of the ready-to-go solutions on the table.

How much of a say you have in our democracy shouldn’t depend on whether you can afford to pay a professional lobbyist. A comprehensive overhaul of our lobbying laws is required to make sure community members have the same influence on decision makers as big business.

By signing this petition, you can show decision makers that the community demands wholesale reforms to political lobbying laws. Tinkering around the edges of a dodgy system is not good enough.

To Mark Dreyfus KC MP, Attorney General;

Our current system of lobbying carries with it a real risk of corruption and disproportionate influence by powerful industries. Weak federal lobbying laws need a significant overhaul. We call on you to commit to substantial reforms to make the system more transparent and fair, including:

  • Expand the public Lobbyist Register to include in-house lobbyists and require regular disclosure of their activities
  • Strengthening enforcement of the lobbyist code of conduct with an independent regulator and proper penalties
  • A requirement for Ministers, Shadow Ministers and senior Ministerial staff to publish their diaries 
  • Lengthening the cooling off period to at least three years, to stop Ministers and senior staff moving into industry and lobbying jobs

Signed,

Name(Required)
Postcode(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Taking this action will add your email into the Australian Democracy Network Ltd’s subscriber mailing list. This means you will receive ongoing campaign updates and opportunities to take action. Please take a moment to read our privacy statement to better understand how we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information.