Not too many MPs want the public to know who they are sponsoring for access passes to Parliament House. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
It seems few federal MPs are rushing to sign up to a voluntary register detailing who they sponsor as lobbyists for a virtually all-access pass to Parliament House.
ACT Independent Senator David Pocock has launched his online register, asking federal parliamentarians to list who they are giving the green light to for sponsored passes.
He flagged the register at the beginning of September by writing to all MPs and Senators, inviting them to voluntarily list the people they sponsor for parliamentary access passes.
But beyond the crossbench, there aren’t many takers.
Labor, the Coalition and even the Greens have declined to sign up to it.
Senator Pocock said he was disappointed that MPs and Senators from the Federal Government, the Federal Opposition and the Greens have decided to “continue to hide details” of who they are giving privileged access to inside Parliament House.
“Lobbyists play an important part in our democracy, but the base level expectation should be that there is transparency around that,” he said when launching the register on Monday (27 October).
“Parliament House is the people’s house, yet there’s a tragic lack of transparency around who has access to it.
“Worryingly, Labor, the Coalition and the Greens think that’s acceptable.”
At the time of the site’s launch, 13 parliamentarians had signed up, listing the names of a total of 78 people they sponsor for passes and who those people represent.
But so far, it’s only independents and One Nation Senator Tyron Whitten who have disclosed details.
Senator Pocock said not a single member of the major parties or the Greens has so far disclosed the names or organisations of those they’ve granted access-all-areas passes to.
He said the secrecy surrounding passholders undermines trust in the nation’s political system.
“Australians deserve to know who can walk in here and lobby their elected representatives,” he said.
“A strong democracy depends on transparency and accountability. Refusing to say who you’ve given access to isn’t in line with what Australians want.
“A pass sponsored by a parliamentarian provides privileged access. Access that potentially allows certain perspectives to reach decision-makers ahead of others.
“The public has the right to know who’s being given that privilege.”
ACT independent Senator David Pocock has launched a voluntary lobbyist register, after writing to all federal parliamentarians in September, inviting them to contribute. Photo: Region
Modelled on international best practice, the new Parliamentary Pass Register is now live and provides voters with a tool to demand transparency, with an option to email their local MPs and Senators to urge them to disclose their passholders.
Hundreds of Australians have already used the site to call on their representatives to be open.
“This isn’t radical – it’s routine in democracies like the UK, US and New Zealand,” he said.
“What’s radical is continuing to keep it secret and pretending that’s somehow good for democracy.
“Transparency is the lowest of low bars. I encourage my colleagues to step over it.”
Parliamentarians who have disclosed the passes they sponsor include independent MPs Allegra Spender, Andrew Wilkie, Monique Ryan, Helen Haines, Kate Chaney, Nicolette Boele, Sophie Scamps, Zali Steggall, and Andrew Gee.
In the Senate, Senator Pocock and Senator Whitten are joined on the register by fellow crossbench senators Jacqui Lambie and Lidia Thorpe.
In the House of Representatives, Dr Ryan introduced a lobbying bill aiming to strengthen and enforce a lobbyist code of conduct.
That would include publishing ministerial diaries and appointments, and ban ministers from leaving parliament to become lobbyists for the private sector in the portfolio areas for which they had responsibilities.
“In November 2023, the voluntary register included 703 third-party lobbyists. Forty per cent of those were former politicians, ministerial advisers or public servants,” she said.
“They were profiting from their knowledge and the networks gained from their time spent here in their service to the public and funded by taxpayers.”
Dr Ryan’s bill was seconded by Ms Chaney, who said part of integrity and accountability in politics is understanding who is influencing the nation’s top decision-makers.
“We should know which lobbyists have access to Ministers and Cabinet,” Ms Chaney said.
Original Article published by Chris Johnson on Region Canberra.
