Ten years ago, the Rudd Government introduced the Lobbying Code of Conduct.

It was an attempt to regulate the way lobbyists work in Canberra.

It didn’t work – for a lot of reasons. It wasn’t independent, it was full of loopholes, and it couldn’t be legally enforced.

Now’s the time to take another look at the Lobbying Code of Conduct, and fix it.

Here’s how.

EXPAND IT

• Harmonise the sponsored pass definition a lobbyist with the Code's definition of lobbyist.
• Strengthen the Code of Conduct's post-separation employment restrictions for former Ministers.
• Extend the post-separation employment restriction for former ministers from eighteen months to five years to line up with Canada and the United States.

LEGISLATE IT

• Turn the lobbying Code of Conduct into a mandatory industry code, governing everybody who lobbies federal government representatives: businesses, unions, NGOs and industry groups.
• Give the ACCC the power to police the mandatory industry code.
• Make decisions reviewable by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

ENFORCE IT

• Establish a Parliamentary Integrity Commissioner, an independent statutory body that administers the Register and reports to the Parliament.
• Give the Commissioner the power to enforce the Statement of Ministerial Standards.
• Expand the Parliament House Visitor Pass Register and allow access under Freedom of Information Law.