There’s a fantastic piece on lobbying in today’s Age by Michael Bachelard. It really outlines the situation well:
The Labor Party and its MPs collect donations in three ways. First, the state secretary doorknocks supporters in big business, soliciting direct donations. These are usually few in number, large in sum, and well disclosed.
The second method is through Progressive Business, the Labor entity that ran the boardroom lunch series – these events are also relatively transparent and, as far as the federal legislation requires, well disclosed. But the third method is much murkier, on a smaller scale, and concerning. Here, an MP, endorsed candidate or a minister organises a fund-raiser, or takes a donation directly from a sympathetic business or individual. The proceeds go into his or her branch ALP bank account, purportedly to run their own campaign.
These accounts are difficult to scrutinise – even by ALP officials themselves – and thanks to the Federal Government’s new, free and easy disclosure regime, MPs need only disclose amounts above $10,000.
Once in a while an MP’s bank account, for a single year, is audited by the Australian Electoral Commission. It audits about 30 ALP Victorian accounts a year.
When people think about lobbying they get the image of a brown paper bags in a dark parking lot at night with direct policy or planning outcomes when the vast majority of lobbying is, at least legally, quite above board.
