Premier introduces lobbying law 12 months after Coaldrake review

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has introduced laws to ban the ‘dual-hatting’ of lobbyists in Queensland, a cornerstone recommendation from the landmark integrity review handed down almost 12 months ago.

• Review: 14 bombshell recommendations

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has introduced laws to ban the “dual-hatting” of lobbyists in Queensland, a cornerstone recommendations from the landmark integrity review handed down by Professor Peter Coaldrake almost 12 months ago.

The Premier on Friday said the bill implemented and enabled several key recommendations from the review, ordered after a range of integrity issues plagued the government early last year.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in state parliament. Picture: NCA NewsWire/John Gass

“(The LNP) have complained time and time again about how long it has taken to implement some of these recommendations,” she said.

“But I make no excuses for the time it has taken to get it right.”

The new laws would increase the regulation of lobbying activity and put a stop to the controversial practice of “dual-hatting” – where a registered lobbyist is involved in the election campaign of a political party during an election period.

Professor Coaldrake was critical of this practice within his report and recommended it be banned, which prompted the Premier to immediately put a stop to high-profile Anacta lobbyists Evan Moorhead and David Nelson from accessing her government, after they co-ran her 2020 campaign.

Former Queensland Labor secretary Cameron Milner was also swept up in the immediate ban.

Professor Coaldrake’s report contained a total of 14 recommendations, with the first tranche of laws passed late last year.

Peter Coaldrake handed down his integrity review almost a year ago.

Ms Palaszczuk said 10 of the 14 recommendations would be realised – and pledged the remaining four would be “worked on by the government over this coming year”.

“Our government is committed to integrity and open, transparent governance,” she said.

The new laws would also enhance the jurisdiction of the Queensland Ombudsman to consider complaints about, and initiate investigations of government services provided by non-government entities, and establish the Office of the Queensland Integrity Commissioner as a statutory body.