David Pocock (ACT, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Do you think that politicians should be able to train lobbyists how to lobby? Do you think it's right that there are over 2,200 people with access to Parliament House—the people's house—and no-one knows who they are, whose interests they represent or who gave them that access? Do you think the Parliament Sports Club should be selling access to politicians to people from industries like the gambling industry? Do you think taxpayers should be on the hook for ministers to travel to Melbourne or Sydney for meetings that just happened to coincide with lush dinners with lobbyists in exchange for a cash gift, a gift which was conveniently removed from counting as a donation in Labor's stitch-up of an election reform bill? Do you think ministers should be able to put their mates into plum jobs? All of these things are happening right now.

Currently, we have a system made up of guidance documents and voluntary codes that gives the appearance of doing something but in reality doesn't do enough. For the last four years, the crossbench have been asking the government, on behalf of the people that we represent, to work with us to make reforms to clean up this system to help restore trust in our democracy. Dr Sophie Scamps has introduced a bill to end the culture of jobs for mates in government. Dr Monique Ryan and I have introduced bills to regulate lobbying activities in this place. Zali Steggall and I have been working on truth in political advertising. Dr Helen Haines has been working on ending pork barrelling. Senator Barbara Pocock has been working on cleaning up consultancies and conflicts of interest. The entire crossbench has been pushing, but, unfortunately, the Albanese Labor government has been unwilling to act on most of these things. Australians deserve to know who is accessing their house. (Time expired)