LOBBYING AND MINISTERIAL ACCOUNTABILITY BILL

Introduction and First Reading

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:32): Obtained leave and introduced a bill for an act to provide for the disclosure of lobbying of senior public officials, to make unlawful the holding and trading of certain property by serving ministers, to regulate the post-ministerial employment of ministers and ministerial advisers; and for other purposes. Read a first time.

Second Reading

The Hon. R.B. SUCH (Fisher) (10:32): I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

Members who were in this place in the previous session may recall that I introduced this bill on, I think, 13 November 2008, from memory. I will not take up much time this morning, but I will summarise what this bill seeks to do. This bill establishes a register for lobbyists by an act of parliament. We know that there is a government register, which came into force on 1 December 2009, but it was not established by an act of parliament.

The government register and code of practice do not provide for any penalties for breaches of the code or the register, and my bill does. My bill contains penalties for breaches of the act by those lobbyists who behave inappropriately. I think it is important that, if you are going to be fair dinkum about controlling what lobbyists do, you must have some mechanism for penalties and inappropriate behaviour. This bill prohibits the payment of success fees.

We have heard about what has happened in Queensland, where lobbyists and others have been given special payments when they have been able to, in effect, influence the government in its decision-making. I do not believe that that is appropriate. I think that can lead to corrupt practices. Finally, this bill no longer establishes a code of practice as this is already in place, so there is no need to establish a code.

I think we need this measure. I am not saying that current lobbyists behave inappropriately, but I think it is important to have a mechanism in place with penalties to help ensure that lobbyists do not engage in inappropriate behaviour and that ministers or ministerial advisers do not leave their positions to immediately become part of an organisation or company—or as an individual—and use inside information they gained in their position as minister or ministerial adviser for their financial benefit. I commend the bill to the house and ask members to support it.

Debate adjourned on motion of Mr Sibbons.