Political lobbyists with unfettered access to Australia’s parliament to be publicly named

MPs who sponsor lobbyists’ entry to halls of power will also be listed online under new transparency rules

Political lobbyists with unfettered access to the halls of Parliament House – and the MPs who sponsor their passes – will soon be publicly identified in an online register, under a major shake-up of the pass system.

Under the new rules, two MPs will need to sign for a lobbyist to register for a pass, with the primary sponsor responsible for their behaviour. It will also introduce fees for lobbyist and commercial passes.