Independent Member for Kooyong, Dr Monique Ryan, has called for the Albanese Government to move faster in publishing the names and companies of Parliament House access card holders, after the first quarterly disclosure revealed only a small fraction of sponsored pass holders.
The names of only 115 of 1,201 sponsored pass holders were released this week by the Department of Parliamentary Services. Over 90 percent remain undisclosed.
Dr Ryan: “In June, the Prime Minister promised greater transparency around who’s lobbying MPs and freely walking the halls of Parliament House. Instead, the government has so far disclosed fewer than one in ten sponsored pass holders.
“I’ve been calling for a bright light to be shone on the behaviour and access of lobbyists for four years. Publishing the names and companies of passholders is a step forward, but half-measures are inadequate. Transparency delayed is transparency denied.”
Though limited, what information has been released reflects the ongoing influence of big lobbying firms and vested interests in Parliament House.
Among the lobbying companies listed are Hawker Britton, one of the country’s most prominent and influential lobbying firms, whose clients include fossil fuel companies like Woodside and ConocoPhilips. Victorian Labor MPs who support action on climate change, Sarah Witty and Jana Stewart, are listed as Hawker Britton sponsors.
Another is the gambling industry’s peak body, Responsible Wagering Australia, whose access to Parliament House is sponsored by Shadow Health Minister Ann Ruston. RWA’s chief lobbyist, Kai Cantwell, previously worked for Senator Ruston and, more recently, was one of the most prominent voices against the proposed ban on gambling advertising.
“These limited disclosures reinforce why lobbying transparency is so important,” says Dr Ryan.
“Whether it is the gambling industry, fossil fuel interests, or other powerful lobbying sectors, we have a right to know who is meeting with our politicians and influencing their vote in parliament.”
Monique Ryan is calling on the Albanese Government to expand and accelerate the public release of all sponsored access card holders.
“Parliament House belongs to the Australian people, not to the hundreds of professional influence-peddlers who walk the halls every sitting day. If the government is serious about shining a light on lobbying, it must expedite processing pass applications and commit to all names and companies being released in full when its next disclosure is due, in January.
“And there’s still much more to do to bring lobbyists’ activities into the light. When we return to Parliament, I’ll be introducing a private members’ bill to open ministers’ and lobbyists’ diaries, so we can all see who the government is meeting with, when and why.”
