Independents To Force Action On Gambling, Lobbying Laws

Independents are pressing hot-button concerns such as banning gambling advertisements, opening ministerial journals to the general public and curbing the impact of political lobbyists.


Crossbenchers have described a list of key top priorities if they're re-elected into a hung parliament, informing a transparency online forum they'll require the federal government to act upon the largely untouched issues.


Reforming lobbying, permitting the national anti-corruption commission to hold public hearings, developing a whistleblower security authority and having fact in laws are amongst the targets for crossbench MPs.


This consisted of Allegra Spender, Zali Steggall, Monique Ryan, Andrew Wilkie, Kate Chaney and Senator David Pocock.


Ms Steggall pointed to consumer protections against misleading and misleading advertisements, comparing it without any truth in political marketing laws.


"It resembles we do not value our voting rights the exact same method as we value our consumer rights," she stated.


Senator Pocock called lobbying laws "an absolute joke", saying 80 per cent of lobbyists weren't covered by the code of conduct and there were no genuine charges for misconduct.


The senator and Dr Ryan have actually pressed in parliament for laws that would open ministerial diaries so the public can find out about ministers meeting lobbyists.


Ms Spender likewise named an overall ban on betting advertisements after Labor shelved strategies to act.


"This is a contest in between beneficial interests who are winning to date, versus neighborhood interests who understand that this requires to be banned and I will combat for that," she said.


Ms Spender is also combating the Australian Electoral Commission for more openness over its findings that one individual was responsible for sending some 47,000 unauthorised handouts targeting her in her electorate of Wentworth.


The commission said the individual acted alone, had no link to a political party or candidates contesting the seat and it was thinking about whether to push for civil charges for breaking electoral law after the May 3 election.


Ms Spender revealed concern about keeping the identity concealed, asking "how can citizens consider the source if the AEC will not identify that source", in reference to the laws needing authorisation for transparency purposes.