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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2024-02-22 Daily Xml
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Citadel Secure

The Hon. J.S. LEE (Deputy Leader of the Opposition) (14:30): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Attorney-General a question about lobbyists.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.S. LEE: It was referred to this Legislative Council yesterday that a business owned by Cressida O'Hanlon's husband, Citadel Secure, is heavily involved in government relations and networks with decision-makers. Despite this fact, Citadel Secure is not registered under the Lobbyists Act and has not disclosed any of their interactions with government. I refer specifically to Citadel Secure's website, which states, and I quote:

We have built broad and representative bipartisan networks with key decision makers and influencers in Australia and NZ to maintain a clear picture of government priorities and future policies.

My question to the minister is: does the Attorney-General agree that a business that conducts representational work using networks with key decision-makers and influencers is undertaking lobbying as defined under the Lobbyists Act 2015 and therefore it should be registered as a lobbyist under the act?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:32): I thank the honourable member for her question. Without having the exact details of what a company does, and I am not aware of that, if you are engaging with government on behalf of your own company, I am not sure and I am not going to give legal advice but it would seem unlikely that you would be engaging in lobbying.

The Lobbyists Act 2015 under section 4(1) defines lobbying as constituted by communicating 'with a public official…on behalf of a third party' for money or other valuable consideration for 'the purpose of influencing the outcome'. If the honourable member has any concerns, I suggest she raises them in the appropriate manner. I have to say, I was not here and I did not hear it but I am disappointed with part of what I saw in the chamber yesterday.

The Hon. Michelle Lensink has spent much of her career gaining an admirable reputation for the way she conducts herself in this chamber and the way she goes about things, and I think when she reflects on her contribution yesterday she will think of herself as letting herself down in how she went about what she did.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: I know the honourable member has taken on the role of government accountability spokesperson, presumably because she thinks—

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: —it has some sort of—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: Taking on the role of government accountability for the opposition, I assume the Hon. Michelle Lensink had intended that to get some sort of public profile and be able to be in the media, but I think she would, when she thinks about it in the weeks to come, be disappointed in herself for the way she has conducted herself.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: If the Hon. Michelle Lensink thinks that there is something untoward that has happened, maybe she should repeat accusations outside of this chamber and, if not, she should take a good hard look at herself.

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