Australia has had two recent experiences with lobby group regulation. The first was the Lobbyist Regulation Scheme passed by Executive decision in 1983. A lobbyist was described as:
‘a person (or company) who, for financial or other advantage, represents a client in dealings with Commonwealth Government ministers and officials’.
The scheme was abandoned following the election of the Liberal Government in 1996. The scheme was seen as ‘ineffective in regulating the heavy duty’ lobbying which is inherent in the system’ and virtually inaccessible’ (Warhurst 1998: 549).
In 2008, the Australian Government issued a Lobbying Code of Conduct, to promote trust in the integrity of government (Lobbying Code of Conduct 2008) and to ensure open and transparent access to Government. In this, a lobbyist is defined as
“any person, company or organisation who conducts lobbying activities on behalf of a third party client or whose employees conduct lobbying activities on behalf of a third party client”
The code explicitly excludes “any person, company or organisation or the employees of such a company or organisation, engaging in lobbying activities on their own behalf, rather than for a client”.
Lobbying activity means ‘communications with a Government representative in an effort to influence government decision-making, including the making or amendment of legislation, the development of a Government policy or program, the awarding of a Government contract or grant or the allocation of funding”.
Among other things, the code does not consider statements made in a public forum or communications with a committee of the Parliament.
