Long-awaited integrity review will put spotlight on lobbying industry
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expects a report on the future role of the stateās Integrity Commissioner within six months.
In parliament today, Palaszczuk announced Kevin Yearbury would undertake the five-year review to assess whether the Integrity Commissionerās functions have been performed economically, effectively and efficiently.
Yearbury is a former bureaucrat, who was acting head of Palaszczukās department, and previously conducted a review of governance of the Public Service Commission.
āMr Yearbury is highly qualified to undertake the review,ā Palaszczuk said.
āOn completion of the review, Mr Yearbury will provide me with a report that I will table in Parliament and that will be considered by the Parliamentary Committee.ā
The review comes amid growing concern over the lobbying industry that facilitates corporate access to governments. The Integrity Commissioner, Nikola Stepanov, is required to oversee the industry in accordance with government rules.
The terms of reference ask Yearbury to consider āwhether existing provisions are appropriate and effective in regulating contact between lobbyists and government and opposition representatives, including by former government and opposition representatives, having regard to public expectations of transparency and integrityā.
His review will also, pointedly, examine āwhether specific investigative powers are required to effectively regulate lobbying activities,ā after concerns were raised over an apparently lack of enforcement of the rules.
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Tomorrow, the first national lobbying summit will be co-hosted by the Integrity Commissioner and the Queenslandās Crime and Corruption Commission.
CCC Chairperson Alan MacSporran QC said the summit would examine what a ābest practice standardā might look like in terms of regulation and registration of lobbyists.
āWe want to discuss whether current oversight regimes adequately reflect public concerns about the amount of influence lobbyists appear to have on our elected officials,ā MacSporran said.
Stepanov has previously pointed to an increase in inquiries, and complaints, about lobbying.
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