It has been reported today that the Prime Minister has written to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House, requesting a review into lobbying activities within Parliament House.
For years, Dr Monique Ryan, Independent Member for Kooyong, alongside other members of the crossbench, has called for a stronger lobbying code of conduct, a more robust lobbying register, and greater transparency around ministerial diaries. Dr Ryan's Private Member's Bill, the Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) Bill, has been introduced in both the House of Representatives and the Senate – most recently in October 2025.
In 2024, the Senate Committee Inquiry into Access to Parliament House by Lobbyists attracted 346 public submissions. Of these, an overwhelming majority expressed support for stronger regulation and increased transparency regarding the role of lobbyists within and beyond Parliament House. The government has not yet responded to that inquiry but instead has announced another into the same issue – which will only consult insiders within Parliament House.
Quotes attributable to Dr Monique Ryan, Independent Member for Kooyong:
"It's no secret that Australians are concerned about the degree of access lobbyists have to politicians inside Parliament House. Every day that Parliament sits, hundreds of lobbyists roam its halls, meeting with Ministers, and influencing government decision-making.
"The Federal Government has 130 unanswered parliamentary committee inquiry reports sitting on the shelf, collecting dust. If we are to commission another review into lobbying activities in Parliament House, it must be open to the public, not just to insiders – and, most importantly, its recommendations must be actioned.
"Parliament House is the most visited building in the country. It is the People's House. The people must have a say in what goes on inside its walls."
