Monique Ryan (Kooyong, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Prime Minister, Parliament House is the people's house. The public should have a say in what goes on within its walls. Every day that parliament sits, hundreds of lobbyists roam this place. Today it's reported that you've written to the Presiding Officers requesting yet another review into lobbying—a review which is closed to the public, according to reporting. Will you open this inquiry up to the people, and will you commit to enforcing a more transparent and robust lobbying code of conduct?

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question. Indeed, I can confirm that I have written to the people who are responsible for these issues, the Speaker and the President of the Senate. For the benefit of the House, I'll table that letter for transparency when I conclude my answer. In it, I say:

It is my Government's view that the review—

which is already being conducted; I'm not conducting a review—

provides an opportunity to consider increased transparency and rigour in relation to sponsored passes for Parliament House on the basis of business requirements, particularly in relation to professional lobbyists.

In that context, I also consider that the review provides an opportunity to examine the conditions and requirements for unescorted sponsored access to Parliament House, mindful as always of the importance of security.

It's my view that this has expanded over the years and that the number of people wandering around unescorted through the ministerial wing and other wings should be cut back. That is my strong view. There are security issues in this place—and, as you might have noticed, in some other places as well—that have been dealt with and that members have to deal with in 2026. We need to tighten it up. There should be transparency about these issues.

That's consistent with what my government has done in introducing the National Anti-Corruption Commission, strengthening the ministerial code of conduct, strengthening protections for whistleblowers, increasing funding to the Australian National Audit Office, restoring transparency to AAT appointments and establishing the ART, reinstating a standalone privacy and FOI commissioner, implementing the recommendations of the Bell inquiry into the multiple ministries of the former prime minister, establishing the Independent Parliamentary Standards Commission and working to tackle the influence of big money across our democracy, with the changes that passed—

Opposition Members:

Opposition members interjecting—

Anthony Albanese (Grayndler, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

That was supported by you, by the way. They were across the board and went through the House of Reps and the Senate in the last term. Those changes come into effect on 1 July. Unescorted access to parliament is a privilege. The passes are a matter for the Presiding Officers, but I think there should be greater rigour around sponsored passes, particularly for professional lobbyists. I table the letter for the benefit of the House.