Anthony Albanese’s presence at a private dinner paid for by betting firm Sportsbet “doesn’t pass the sniff test”, according to independent MP Monique Ryan.
The Prime Minister was spoiled by gambling executives from the National Press Club just weeks before the 2022 election, the Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday.
He attended the lavish dinner hosted by the gambling giant on February 9, 2022, against a backdrop of growing calls for a cap on gambling advertising.
The report came a day after The Australian Financial Review revealed Communications Minister Michelle Rowland attended a birthday lunch hosted by gambling lobbyists at a luxury Melbourne restaurant last year.
Dr. Ryan highlighted Mr Albanese’s “secret” dinner as a reason to limit the influence of lobbyists in Canberra.
Anthony Albanese’s presence at a private dinner paid for by betting firm Sportsbet does not pass the sniff test, according to independent MP Monique Ryan
The independent MP recently introduced a bill to prevent lobbyists from giving politicians large gifts and to revise the relevant code of conduct.
On Tuesday, she called on all major parties to support her private members’ bill to “restore confidence in democracy.”
‘Lobbyists spend millions influencing politicians in the hope that they will make decisions for commercial interests over the public interest. They are not spending this money and expecting nothing in return,” she said.
“Yesterday I introduced my #CleanUpPoliticsAct, and it already makes a case for itself: under the law, Anthony Albanese’s secret dinner would not have been able to happen.”
Although both lavish meals attended by Mr Albanese and Ms Rowland were legal, Dr Ryan argued they should have been placed on the ministerial agenda so they could be scrutinized.
When she introduced her bill on Monday, Dr Ryan argued that it is crucial to regulate lobbyists to prevent corrupt behavior between the parties involved, such as cash-for-access schemes.
Independent MP Monique Ryan recently introduced a bill to prevent lobbyists from giving politicians large gifts and to revise the relevant code of conduct
Regulations would also ensure decisions are made fairly and on merit, the independent MP explained.
She explained that the current code of conduct for lobbyists has failed because it is “toothless” and “too limited” and enforcement is “dismal.”
“We need an independent regulator managing a strong legislative system, not a complacent and conflicted government brandishing an administrative framework with the coherence and effectiveness of a wet cloth,” she said.
Dr. Ryan called for the implementation of a publicly accessible register of lobbyists and a ban on former politicians from working as lobbyists for three years after leaving parliament.
Lobbyists who violate the bill would be fined for violations and the code would be enforced by an independent integrity commission.
“We want and must hold public officials to a higher standard of integrity,” the independent MP said.