Summary:
The Centre for Public Integrity, an independent Australian think tank, is calling for stronger regulations to counter the swift transition of ex-politicians and advisers into lobbying roles that potentially exploit personal connections and policy knowledge. Despite an existing lobbying code of conduct, which mandates a year-long separation period between government and lobbying roles, the Centre’s report highlights cases of individuals moving into lobbyist roles shortly after leaving government positions. The report points to instances where ex-ministers, such as Julie Bishop, Christopher Pyne, and Andrew Robb, transitioned into lobbying, potentially leading to a nexus of corporate influence and elected representatives. The Centre is proposing five reforms, including stricter controls, expanding the definition of lobbying, publishing ministerial diaries, criminal sanctions for rule breaches, and extending the separation period from government to lobbying to five years.
The above summary comes from an article published by The Sydney Morning Herald, written by David Crowe. The full article can be found here.