Labor-linked lobbyists admit rules too loose

After warnings about the potential for corruption, two high-profile Queensland lobbyists say hundreds of people are doing the same work, but calling themselves something different to skirt laws.

Hundreds of lobbyists are operating in the shadows thanks to laws that allow them to skirt the rules as long as they call their jobs something else, according to explosive claims by industry insiders.

The Courier-Mail can reveal two of the state’s most high-profile lobbyists, Anacta Strategies directors Evan Moorhead and David Nelson, have backed Crime and Corruption Commission boss Alan MacSporran’s suggestions for more regulation to guard against corruption.

But they say they’re not the problem.

In the first commentary made public from the pair, whose ties with Labor in part prompted Mr MacSporran’s calls, they say “significant numbers” of people working for third-party property developers, law firms, accounting consulting firms, in public relations and as strategic advisers are lobbying governments for clients but don’t class themselves as lobbyists, putting them outside the rules.

Former Labor state secretary worked with Labor in the lead-up to last October’s state election. File picture: Annette Dew

“Queensland’s current lobbying regulations, in effect, only capture lobbying by people who self-nominate as registered lobbyists, rather than the actual activity of lobbying,” according to their submission to a five-yearly review of the Integrity Act.

“Hence the current scene captures only a small proportion of third-party lobbying activity.”

It says the exemptions available are broad and ill-defined “and provide an opportunity for much of the lobbying currently taking place to occur without disclosure”.

They argue the activity of lobbying itself be regulated, as in the US and Canada.

That would capture people who are lobbying, even if they don’t call themselves a lobbyist.

It’s the first time Mr Moorhead has weighed into public debate following months of commentary from Mr MacSporran, who cautioned during the state election campaign of a “blurring” of the lines between governments and lobbyists and has raised the possibility lobbyists be banned from working on political campaigns.

Mr Moorhead – a former ALP state secretary – worked on the Labor’s October re-election with Next Level Strategic Services director and fellow former state secretary Cameron Milner.

“We note Anacta Strategies has attracted recent media interest as a result of our lobbying activities,” Anacta’s submission says.

“This media reporting is made possible by members of the media being able to search our extensive disclosures on the Queensland Lobbyist Register.”

Mr Moorhead and Mr Nelson argue other entities provide similar services to Anacta but use the ill-defined “incidental lobbying” exemption to opt out of regulation.

They suggest the Lobbyists Code of Conduct be rewritten with a lobbying definition and more narrow exclusions for external consultancy firms and that the resources of the Integrity Commissioner be boosted to “provide a proactive service” on operating within it.