Register of Lobbyists

Cabinet Secretary, Senator John Faulkner, has released an exposure draft of the Lobbying Code of Conduct. The Code will underpin the operation of the Register of Lobbyists.

The proposed Register will allow Ministers and other Government representatives who are approached by lobbyists to establish whose interests the lobbyist represents so informed judgments can be made about the outcome they are seeking to achieve.

This will be the first  formal lobbyists register ever adopted by a Federal Government.

Comments on the exposure draft are requested by 16 April 2008.

The Government intends that registration will commence after Cabinet approval of the Code following consideration of comments received.

Time will be allowed for provision of the required details for the Register. From the commencement date, lobbyists who represent third party clients will need to be on the Register or they will not be able to lobby Government representatives. It will not, however, confer a right to access by lobbyists to Ministers and other Government representatives.

The Register will be administered by the Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and will be hosted on the Department’s web site.