Steven Miles moves to close off Queensland lobby law loophole

Queensland Premier Steven Miles will make retrospective law changes to require lobbyists to declare their meetings with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli’s frontbenchers.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Queensland Premier Steven Miles will make retrospective law changes to require lobbyists to declare their meetings with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli’s frontbenchers after revelations that LNP-linked lobby firms had been exploiting a loophole in the state’s integrity laws.

Under existing Queensland law, contact between lobbyists and LNP frontbenchers – apart from Mr Crisafulli and his deputy Jarrod Bleijie – do not need to be declared on the state’s register, unless there are opposition staff present.

In a letter to Mr Crisafulli, seen by The Australian, Mr Miles said the loophole had allowed lobbyists to secretly meet with frontbenchers on behalf of paid clients and argued it was in the public interest to change the law.

“This would ensure the public is aware of all engagements between registered lobbyists and the LNP opposition,” he wrote.

“I am loathe to make this change retrospective without your support. However, I am sure you would agree the public deserves to know what secret lobbying activity has occurred over the last three years.”

Under the proposed changes, to come ahead of the October state election where Mr Crisafulli is on track to deliver the first change in government in Queensland for almost a decade, lobbyists would be required to disclose all meetings held with members of the shadow ministry dating back to 2020 election.

An LNP spokesman said: “The letter was received 24 hours ago. We will respond in due course.”

Mr Miles said the legal loophole was exposed only when LNP frontbenchers began publishing their official diaries in April.

The Australian revealed earlier this month that one of Queensland’s biggest LNP-linked lobby firms had been exploiting the loophole.

SAS Group – co-owned by former Nationals president and MP Larry Anthony and repeat LNP candidate Malcolm Cole – failed to declare resources giant APLNG as a client and Mr Cole as a lobbyist, despite holding meetings with opposition Treasury spokesman David Janetzki and energy spokeswoman Deb Frecklington.

In one example, cited in Ms Frecklington’s diaries, she declares a “meeting-lobbyist” with SAS Group’s Peter Costantini, Australia Pacific LNG’s then-chief executive officer Khoa Dao and senior manager Nicole Buchanski, along with opposition staff, to discuss a “portfolio matter” and have a “meeting of introduction”.

SAS Group had not included the meeting on its register of lobbying contacts, nor included APLNG as a client.

Mr Cole has said Mr Costan­tini did not know the staffer would be present and if he did, would not have attended.

He also said it was an introduction and didn’t meet the definition of lobbying.

Queensland’s lobbying laws were strengthened last year following a landmark integrity review by public service reformer Peter Coaldrake.

Professor Coaldrake’s recommended crackdown on lobbyists was sparked by an investigation by The Australian that exposed deep connections between the major parties and lobbyists who worked behind the scenes.

After Professor Coaldrake’s review, former ALP state secretaries Cameron Milner and Evan Moorhead and veteran Labor campaigner David Nelson were blacklisted.