Laws will be introduced to expand a publicly available register of lobbyists after a senator was booted from a sports club for raising concerns about the gambling industry that sponsors it.
Independent senator David Pocock was earlier in October kicked out of a club that organises friendly games between politicians and journalists during parliamentary sitting weeks.
It also offers corporate memberships.
Senator Pocock was an enthusiastic participant until it surfaced the group accepted funding from Responsible Wagering Australia – a peak group for gambling companies such as SportsBet.
Following the saga, Kooyong independent MP Monique Ryan will introduce a bill that aims to improve transparency around lobbying when parliament resumes on Monday.
“The sports club scandal reminded us how insidious lobbying can be,” Dr Ryan said.
“We need stronger laws to ensure that decisions are made in the public interest – not in the interests of well-connected, well-funded insiders able to pay for access to politicians.”
Sports club chief executive Andy Turnbull booted Senator Pocock after he used Senate estimates to question a $2500 sponsorship.
“Being kicked out of the club for raising concerns around gambling lobbyists buying access to the club shows the influence vested interests have here in parliament,” the ACT senator said.
Independent MPs Allegra Spender and Sophie Scamps resigned their memberships in solidarity.
Senator Pocock, an ex-Wallabies captain, has campaigned against gambling ties to sport and is critical of the federal government’s failure to respond to a landmark inquiry that recommended banning online betting advertising.
If passed, the bill will make details of all lobbyists publicly available on an online register, require lobbyists to comply with a strengthened code of conduct and mandate regular publication of ministerial diaries.
It will also impose a three-year ban on lobbying in their previous fields by former ministers and advisers to prevent conflicts of interest.
Dr Ryan said enforcing lobbying codes in parliament had been “dismal”.
“We need an independent regulator enforcing strong legislation and upholding transparent standards – not a conflicted government waving a flimsy framework with the effectiveness of a wet tissues,” she said.
Mr Turnbull invited Senator Pocock to rejoin after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese weighed in and said “participation should be open to everyone”.
But the senator declined, stating he would only rejoin following a “transparent” process to reconsider all memberships.
The saga exposed one of the lesser-known ways groups can attempt to influence politicians – though Mr Turnbull denies lobbying or wrongdoing.
The club was on a lobby register, but Mr Turnbull said that was to be “on the safe side” and, following advice from the Attorney-General’s department, he would seek to remove its listing.
Responsible Wagering Australia chief executive Kai Cantwell previously said the group had complied with all disclosure and transparency requirements and parliamentary sports had never been about lobbying, which was done via proper channels and not on the field.
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