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

When I came to this place, I was really shocked at how loose our lobbying rules are in Australia. I didn't know that as a parliamentarian you can give out an unlimited number of sponsored passes, and there is no transparency about who has a pass or who they represent. That has meant we have 2,200 people walking the halls of Parliament House, the people's house, and the people don't know who they are or who gave them those passes. I don't think that cuts it. I don't think that's in line with what Australians want. Surely the base level of transparency is that, if you are an elected representative, you tell the people who elected you, 'This is who I've given access to Parliament House.' That hasn't been happening. I've tried many avenues to urge colleagues and the Senate and parliament to do that. I eventually set up passregister.com.au and have had about a dozen parliamentarians—all Independents and one from One Nation—disclose whom they sponsor passes for. At Senate committee hearings I've asking people, if they have a sponsored pass, who sponsors that pass.

I think this is what Australians expect, yet today we saw Labor, the Liberals, the Nationals and the Greens vote to not allow me to continue to ask those questions. What is everyone hiding? Who are we here to represent? Surely you can stand by the people you've given access to the people's house. I honestly don't think this cuts it, and this is not in line with what Australians expect of us. We've got to do better, and I think there are a plenty of questions to be answered by people who voted against that.