Former treasurer Kevin Foley to keep lucrative boards post, quit lobbying ahead of new laws
FORMER treasurer Kevin Foley is poised to quit his work as a lobbyist, but retain lucrative roles on two government boards that pay $70,000 per year, ahead of proposed Weatherill Government laws.
FORMER treasurer Kevin Foley is set to quit his work as a lobbyist, but retain government board posts worth $70,000 a year, in response to new laws backed by Premier Jay Weatherill.
State Parliament last month passed laws that will ban registered lobbyists from also serving on government boards, as part of a package that includes a code of conduct for MPs.
Mr Foley serves on the Motor Accident Commission and Funds SA boards, which pay a combined $70,758 a year, as well as being a registered lobbyist as owner of Foley Advisory, according to the SA Government Boards and Committees report, tabled in parliament last month.
He left Parliament in 2012 following Mr Weatherill’s rise to the Labor leadership, two years after the now-Premier challenged him for the deputy’s post after the 2010 election.
Foley Advisory lists 11 clients including SkyCity, which is negotiating a $350 million expansion of Adelaide Casino on the Festival Plaza, and building venture Prime Space Projects.
The other clients listed were Prime Space Projects Pty Ltd, Weeks Group of Companies, Sherriff’s Road Recycling Centre, Collins Transport, Midfield Meats, Data Water Services, SAGE Automation, Micro X, Bianco Reinforcing and Adelaide City Engineering.
Mr Foley told The Advertiser he had no contact from the Government over the new laws, but planned to cease lobbying and focus on offering “strategic advice” when they were enforced.
The new legislation defines “lobbying” as accepting money on behalf of someone to communicate with public officials with the intent of influencing legislation or decisions.
Mr Foley said he would “abide by the law, absolutely” and focus on consulting.
“My work is essentially strategic advice to companies. I do very little direct lobbying,” he said.
“I advise companies strategically, so part of my service will not be direct contact with members of government or public servants. “For the majority of my clients, that’s what I do (currently).
“I give strategic advice, and leave it to them to make contact with government.”
Opposition treasury spokesman Rob Lucas said anyone who was not formally registered as a lobbyist would need to be careful not to push for policy changes when talking to politicians.
“When you’re a member of Parliament, you can run into someone in the members’ bar or at the Labor Party convention because you’re just part of the furniture and the scenery,” he said.
“If you are not someone with those sort of connections, you have to make a formal meeting.
“There’ll be an obligation on them as well — as public servants, ministers and their staff — not to engage in anything that could be seen as lobbying unless someone is registered.”
Deputy Premier John Rau said the transparency package will “strengthen the integrity of SA’s political process” and “safeguard against the improper intrusion of sectional interests”.
In a letter to Mr Lucas on September 25, Mr Rau says the Government intends to write to board members about the new legislation, which he wants to come into force “as soon as practicable”.