Shadow health minister sponsoring access for gambling group boss
Ministers are sponsoring lobbyists seeking to influence them directly and the shadow health minister is sponsoring her former chief of staff, who now heads the peak gambling lobby group, the first glimpse of lobbyist access to federal MPs reveals.
The former chief of staff for a shadow health minister has been granted direct access to the Parliament House by her own party, reports indicate. The pass was issued to Kai Cantwell, who previously served as the chief of staff for Senator Ruston. This move comes amid a broader trend of ministers providing access to lobbyists, with several cabinet members, including Chris Bowen and Tim Ayres, sponsoring passes for climate and other advocacy groups.
The Labor and Liberal parties are also implicated, with MPs providing access to gambling lobbyists through the Responsible Wagering Australia group. Notably, Green Party leader David Shoebridge provided a pass to an anti-AUKUS group. While pass sponsorship does not imply endorsement, critics argue the system lacks transparency, with a backlog of 1,086 cards still needing processing under new disclosure rules.
Experts argue the current system fails to shed light on the extent of lobbying influence, calling for a National Lobbying Act with mandatory ministerial diaries and an independent regulator.
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