[Greens-Media] Gaping holes in Baird's lobbying clean-up

[John Kaye]

Gaping holes in Baird's lobbying clean-up

Media release: 13 May 2014

While welcoming Premier Mike Baird's decision to publish ministerial diaries, the Greens are concerned that exemptions for allegedly commercially sensitive material can be used as an excuse for business as usual.

('Mike Baird to make ministerial diaries public after lobbying allegations' Sydney Morning Herald, 13 May, page 2, http://j.mp/1ggasyN)

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "At the very least, decisions to remove details of meetings from published ministerial diaries should be subjected to independent review.

"The diaries of ministerial staffers should also be released.

"There are good reasons to protect the anonymity of whistle blowers and some commercial interactions.

"However, without a mechanism to ensure that the provisions are not being misused, the culture of lobbying will continue behind closed doors.

"Any minister wanting to hide a meeting will only have to claim it relates to a commercial in confidence matter.

"There is a long and dishonourable tradition in NSW politics of declaring matters commercial-in-confidence or cabinet papers when the real objective is to hide a misdeed from the public.

"Mike Baird has just extended that tradition to meeting diaries.

"The public would have no way of even knowing that the meeting occurred, let alone what was said and what the outcomes were.

"Premier Baird's move falls a long way short of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's 2010 recommendations.
"The watchdog pushed for disclosure of meetings not just with ministers, but also with ministerial staff, parliamentary secretaries and senior public servants.

"Under Mike Baird's proposal, corporations and mates seeking favours will be able to lobby a minister's chief-of-staff without the public knowing.

"The web of influence peddling will be able to continue with ministers being lobbied vicariously through their staff and parliamentary secretaries.

"Opposition Leader John Robertson's bill before parliament also fails to capture ministerial staffers and parliamentary secretaries.

"Neither the Coalition nor Labor are prepared to go the full distance on ICAC's 2010 recommendations.

"The lessons from this year's ICAC hearings have clearly not been learned," Dr Kaye said.

For more information: John Kaye 0407 195 455






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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP

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