Government said it did not support the bill
Labor argued the Albanese government was committed to integrity, honesty and accountability but did not support this private member's bill as the way to change lobbying rules.
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust)
Current status
This bill did not become law and is no longer proceeding.
Policy area
Government & democracy
What does this bill do?
Australia would put more lobbying into a public registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed. by covering hired lobbyists as well as employees who lobby for businesses and industry groups.
Why was it introduced?
Australia’s lobbying rules left most in-house lobbying uncovered, gave the public no clear view of who was meeting ministers and why, and had no meaningful penalties for breaches. This bill expands the registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., requires public lobbying reports and ministerial diaries, and bans unregistered lobbying with tougher revolving-door limits.
Broader context
Before late 2024, the Commonwealth lobbyist codeThe existing federal lobbying rules the bill says are too narrow because they mostly cover outside consultants, not in-house lobbyists. covered mainly third-party consultants, left most in-house lobbying outside the registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., did not require public ministerial diaries or detailed lobbying activity reports, and carried no meaningful penalties for breaches. As trust in government and concern about hidden influence kept rising, the bill proposed a much broader public registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., bans on unregistered lobbying, quarterly disclosure reports and longer cooling-off periods for former insiders, but it lapsed when Parliament was dissolved on 28 March 2025.
Key criticism
Labor opposed the bill during debate, arguing the government was already acting on integrity and lobbying reform and did not support this private member's bill. Supporters argued the bill would make lobbying more transparent by expanding registration, publishing ministerial diaries and tightening post-employment restrictions.
Who supported it?
Monique Ryan MP introduced this bill. Speeches supporting it came from some crossbench members.
Introduced in House 18 Nov 2024
Failed in House 28 Mar 2025
Did not reach Senate —
Did not become law —
Did it become law?
No
The bill did not complete passage through Parliament.
Final passage
No final passage
The bill has not completed passage and is no longer proceeding.
Time before failure
130 days
From introduction to the final recorded step before the bill stopped proceeding
Meaning
What does this bill do?
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Australia would put more lobbying into a public registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed. by covering hired lobbyists as well as employees who lobby for businesses and industry groups.
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Professional lobbyists and in-house lobbyists would commit an offence if they try to influence federal decision-makers without being registered.
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Registered lobbyists would have to file public quarterly reports showing what they lobbied on, which government representatives they contacted, when, how, and who took part.
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Federal ministers would have to publish monthly diaries listing meetings, calls and official events linked to their ministerial responsibilities.
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Former ministers and senior government advisers would face a three-year ban on lobbying or using inside knowledge from their old portfolios for personal commercial gain.
Show source excerpts
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It enhances the integrity of Government decision-making by extending the Register of Lobbyists to include registered professional lobbyists acting on behalf of third parties, services firms, and lobbyists acting on behalf of businesses and industry bodies (‘in house lobbyists’).
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) explanatory memorandum -
This clause provides that a person commits an offence if they undertake lobbying activities with or in relation to a Government representative and they are a professional lobbyist or an in-house lobbyist and are not registered.
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) explanatory memorandum -
This clause establishes the requirement for a lobbyist to give the Commissioner a quarterly return that discloses the number of lobbying activities undertaken by a lobbyist or listed person for the preceding quarter. For each activity the following must be disclosed:
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) explanatory memorandum -
This clause provides that Ministers must publish their diaries each calendar month.
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) explanatory memorandum -
This clause provides — amongst other things — that a person commits an offence if for 3 years after ceasing to be a Minister they engage in lobbying activities with a Government representative on matters on which they had official dealings in their Ministerial role. It is also an offence to provide advice or information to assist a lobbyist on an aspect of work for a department or agency for which they held Ministerial responsibility. Moreover, it is an offence for the Minister to provide advice or information about projects or contracts for which they held Ministerial responsibility for their own financial or commercial advantage.
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) explanatory memorandum
Context
Broader context for this bill
Before late 2024, the Commonwealth lobbyist codeThe existing federal lobbying rules the bill says are too narrow because they mostly cover outside consultants, not in-house lobbyists. covered mainly third-party consultants, left most in-house lobbying outside the registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., did not require public ministerial diaries or detailed lobbying activity reports, and carried no meaningful penalties for breaches. As trust in government and concern about hidden influence kept rising, the bill proposed a much broader public registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., bans on unregistered lobbying, quarterly disclosure reports and longer cooling-off periods for former insiders, but it lapsed when Parliament was dissolved on 28 March 2025.
- 18 Nov 2024
Existing federal lobbying rules are presented as too narrow and opaque
The bill’s explanatory memorandum said the current code missed most in-house lobbying, did not show who was meeting ministers and why, and had no meaningful consequences for breaches.
Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) explanatory memorandum ↗ - 18 Nov 2024
Trust in government and concern about hidden influence are cited in Parliament
In the second reading speech, the bill was framed as a response to falling public trust and to concern that lobbying and political access were not transparent enough.
Hansard ↗ - 18 Nov 2024
Bill is introduced to expand disclosure and penalise unregistered lobbying
The bill was introduced with measures to registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed. both professional and in-house lobbyists, require quarterly public reports and ministerial diaries, and extend post-employment lobbying bans to three years.
Parliamentary timeline ↗ - 28 Mar 2025
Bill lapses when Parliament is dissolved
The proposal did not become law because it lapsed at dissolution, leaving the existing Commonwealth lobbying rules in place.
Parliamentary timeline ↗
Legislative route
How did it move through Parliament?
House Senate
Introduced 18 Nov 2024
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
Introduced and read a first time
Second reading opened 18 Nov 2024
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
Second reading moved
Lapsed at dissolution 28 Mar 2025
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.
Key criticism
The main case against this bill
Labor opposed the bill during debate, arguing the government was already acting on integrity and lobbying reform and did not support this private member's bill. Supporters argued the bill would make lobbying more transparent by expanding registration, publishing ministerial diaries and tightening post-employment restrictions.
The main recorded criticism came from Labor, which said the government did not support the bill rather than accepting it as the right vehicle for reform.
Further sources
Votes
Recorded votes
No recorded votes were found before this bill stopped proceeding.
Parliamentary debate
Who spoke, and what they said
Start here — lead voices
Sponsor speech Supports
Monique Ryan
Ryan supports the bill and says it is needed to restore integrity and transparency by strengthening lobbying rules, broadening the registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., and enforcing the code independently.
Read in Hansard ↗ Lead non-major voice Supports
Helen Haines
Helen Haines supports the bill because she says it would expose lobbying activity, show who ministers meet, and help stop the revolving door between government and lobbying.
Read in Hansard ↗All speeches by bloc
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 2 support
Minor parties and independents
2 speakers · 2 support
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Monique Ryan ★ Ryan supports the bill and says it is needed to restore integrity and transparency by strengthening lobbying rules, broadening the registerThe public list of lobbyists and related details that the bill would expand and make more detailed., and enforcing the code independently.
“In this 47th Parliament, the Albanese government has not brought a single private member's bill to this House for debate. I hope that this will be the first. This bill is an important contribution to the restoration of integrity and transparency to this place. I commend it to the House.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗ -
Helen Haines ★ Helen Haines supports the bill because she says it would expose lobbying activity, show who ministers meet, and help stop the revolving door between government and lobbying.
“The member for Kooyong has given us a solution; let's debate this bill and clean up politics in Australia.”
Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
Record
Full record
- Status
- Not Proceeding -- Collected from the APH bill page.
- Originating house
- House of Representatives
- 18 Nov 2024
House · Introduced and read a first time
Introduced
The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.
- 18 Nov 2024
House · Second reading moved
Second reading opened
A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.
- 28 Mar 2025
House · Lapsed at dissolution
Lapsed at dissolution
The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.