Greens NSW anti-corruption spokesperson Jamie Parker MP has welcomed a report released today by the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) recommending that legislation be amended to better manage lobbying in the state.
The report makes 29 recommendations to address shortfalls in the Lobbying of Government Officials Act 2011 including:
- creating a dedicated NSW lobbying commissioner
- prohibiting secret meetings with lobbyists
- increasing the transparency of diary and overseas travel information provided by ministers
Jamie Parker MP says:
“This report is a sorely needed call to stamp out the toxic influence of lobbyists in NSW.
“These 29 recommendations expose the glaring weakness in the current system which essentially facilitates secret meetings and the undue influence of corporate lobbyists.
“This report confirms why the public is so cynical about who really drives decisions in NSW Parliament.
“Policy should be a contest of ideas, not a contest of cash, relationships and influence. The public can’t have confidence that decisions are being made in the public interest, based on evidence, as long as lobbyists have unchecked influence in the parliament.
“The ICAC has exposed all the backdoors that allow corporate lobbyists to secretly influence government decisions.
“We’re calling on the government to accept every single recommendation and implement them within 12 months,” he says.
Tuesday, 22 June 2021
