Miles Doing What Matters: New laws to end LNP’s secret lobbyist meetings

• New laws will ensure lobbyists meetings with Opposition Shadow Ministry members are disclosed
• Miles Government to move a motion to compel LNP Shadow Ministry to reveal meetings with registered lobbyists this term
• Miles Labor Government committed to upholding integrity and transparency

The Miles Government has passed laws to end the LNP’s secret meetings with registered lobbyists.

The laws amend the Integrity Act to widen the definition of “opposition representative” to include Shadow Ministers and Shadow Assistant Ministers.

This will ensure that moving forward, meetings registered lobbyists have with a Shadow Minister or Shadow Assistant Minister, which fit the definition of lobbying activity, will be recorded and publicly available.

The secret lobbying was exposed when Shadow Ministers were required by the Miles Government to publish their diary extracts from March.

Based on publicly available information the Leader of the Opposition, Shadow Ministers and Shadow MPs have had more than 70 meetings or contacts with lobbyists over the previous financial year.

To further enhance transparency, the government will this week move a motion to compel Shadow Ministers or Shadow Assistant Ministers during this term of parliament to produce a list of any meetings that they have had with registered lobbyists in connection with their shadow portfolio duties.

Queensland has the most robust integrity system in the nation thanks to the Labor Government.

We also strengthened laws to stamp out ‘dual hatting’ of lobbyists as political campaigners.

Quotes attributable to Premier Steven Miles:

“Transparency, accountability and integrity in government matters to Queenslanders and it matters to me.

“Lobbying should be transparent – and it is for my government. But we know the Opposition have been meeting with lobbyists for some time without having to disclose it.

“These laws will make lobbying with the Shadow Ministry transparent and bring them into line with Cabinet Ministers, the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition and staff.

“Queenslanders also deserve to know who has been lobbying the Shadow Cabinet this term.

“It’s why we will move a motion to compel Shadow Ministers and Shadow Assistant Ministers to produce a list of any meetings that they have had with registered lobbyists this term.

“It is now time for the Leader of the Opposition and the LNP to show some integrity and be honest with the people of Queensland about who they are meeting with and their plans for the future of this state.”