Australian Democracy Network<\/a> senior campaigner Christian Slattery told News24.com.au the case exposed the shortcomings of the federal Lobbyist Register.<\/p>\n \u201cThis case demonstrates how unfit for purpose the federal Lobbyist Register is at providing transparency over lobbying activity,\u201d Mr Slattery said.<\/p>\n \u201cHistorical client relationships are difficult to identify, individual lobbyists are not linked to particular clients, and conflicts of interest are not appropriately examined.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Wells confirmed she accepted two VIP suite tickets to the Brisbane Lions v Sydney Swans match in 2023, declaring them on her Register of Interests.<\/p>\n At the time, her husband Finn McCarthy was a senior consultant at lobbying firm SEC Newgate, which listed the Sydney Swans as a client.<\/p>\n The minister\u2019s office maintains she complied with the Prime Minister\u2019s Ministerial Code of Conduct and made all appropriate disclosures.<\/p>\n However, Mr Slattery said the problem extended beyond the code, arguing both the Ministerial and Lobbyists Codes of Conduct lacked accountability.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fundamental problem with the Ministerial and Lobbyists Codes of Conduct is that they are administrative guidelines rather than enforceable legal standards,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe public is right to expect independent oversight with the power to hold ministers accountable for ensuring their actions always align with the public interest.\u201d<\/p>\n Ms Wells declined to confirm whether her husband attended the VIP suite with her, and refused to say why she did not disclose his role on the transparency register.<\/p>\n News24.com.au was told Mr McCarthy did not work on the Sydney Swans account and the club was not a paying SEC Newgate client when the tickets were provided.<\/p>\n The controversy comes amid growing scrutiny of the way political insiders and lobbyists obtain access to ministers and government departments.<\/p>\n Widespread lobbying concerns<\/p>\n News24.com.au has previously revealed transparency concerns around former chief of staff to Health Minister Mark Butler, Nick Martin<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mr Martin walked straight into a lobby role and was granted privileged face-to-face meetings with Mr Butler just months after leaving the top job in the minister\u2019s office.<\/p>\n Documents obtained by News24.com.au showed Mr Martin identifying himself to as Mr Butler\u2019s former chief of staff while seeking meetings in his new corporate role.<\/p>\n The case highlighted a loophole in the system, under which the lobbying code applies to third-party lobbyists but not in-house government relations staff.<\/p>\n Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young also faced intense scrutiny<\/a> over $50,000 worth of trips taken by her lobbyist husband Ben Oquist for family travel. There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by Mr Oquist.<\/p>\n Mr Slattery said that voters deserve access to much more information about interactions between ministers and private interests.<\/p>\n \u201cThe public is entitled to know who is meeting with ministers, when, and for what purpose,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is particularly important when ministers and politicians accept corporate gifts, as these are often intended to purchase access and influence.<\/p>\n \u201cDetailed public reporting is essential to allow the media and the public to examine how commercial interests shape federal policy.\u201d<\/p>\n Calls for a National Lobbying Act<\/p>\n Mr Slattery recently authored the Australian Democracy Network\u2019s landmark report, The Invisible Hand, on transparency laws in Australia.<\/p>\n The report identified three major problems, including lobbying loopholes, a revolving door between parliament and lobbying, and weak enforcement measures.<\/p>\n It argues that when lobbying activity is not properly scrutinised, the public cannot determine whether government decisions are being made by private interests.<\/p>\n The report calls for a comprehensive National Lobbying Act built around five key reforms.<\/p>\n It recommends broadening the definition of lobbyist, imposing a five-year lobbying ban for former ministers, requiring the publication of ministerial diaries, an independent integrity body and effective penalties for breaches.<\/p>\n \u201cExpanding the lobbyist register is only a first step \u2013 alone it is insufficient to fix the system,\u201d Mr Slattery said.<\/p>\n \u201cA comprehensive National Lobbying Act must overhaul current rules by introducing proactive diary disclosure, strict revolving-door bans, and independent oversight to ensure system integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 75 civil-society organisations have backed the Australian Democracy Networks\u2019 calls for a national lobbying regime.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrent federal lobbying rules are among the weakest in the country, and inaction leaves our system vulnerable to hidden influence,\u201d Mr Slattery said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Albanese government has a clear opportunity to restore public trust by legislating a comprehensive National Lobbying Act that stops the revolving door, mandates transparency, and establishes a truly independent regulator.\u201d<\/p>\n The Australian Democracy Network has encouraged voters to sign their petition<\/a> urging the government to establish a National Lobbying Act.\u00a0<\/p>\n Read related topics:Labor Party<\/a>Lilley MP Anika Wells<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Transparency advocates have warned federal lobbying laws are \u201cunfit for purpose\u201d after Anika Wells accepted VIP suite tickets…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":90418,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[155940,155986,155960,155985,156008,153323,45161,5859,38039,36933,43724,155991,155983,155996,139382,155941,155990,67860,132594,153324,21187,155967,44603,36871,155953,1757,153344,8611,155998,37623,22,4917,23,125010,156001,4920,21,156007,30146,35614,156000,23704,28568,50598,156009,155957,36754,155949,155951,155962,155979,153354,153345,155963,155993,155974,115452,155989,4417,60337,119135,9115,10635,37730,155975,155977,69191,155944,38229,155995,155946,77296,155976,47309,40809,6017,69206,54303,156,155950,155972,155956,155958,91278,156003,6263,653,155948,38481,20338,5487,114025,5488,155969,155978,49752,76900,142512,155965,155980,44633,155954,105608,11444,36688,155992,155997,155971,155947,155987,155955,155952,38168,60360,153341,40594,155988,7738,5009,8248,46124,43276,155943,153318,36697,79847,39770,60048,58448,48267,156002,126187,155961,155939,40564,44604,155982,42025,41162,43826,37118,40690,43874,156005,103713,155999,41531,153376,36556,44383,156006,153309,36698,43123,155945,41818,155970,28435,156004,155959,155964,155968,56115,78237,155942,155966,153329,1491,155984,155994,155981,155973],"class_list":["post-90417","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-s-canberra-trips","tag-s-former-chief","tag-s-landmark-report","tag-s-lobby-firm-sec-newgate","tag-s-lobbying-firm","tag-s-ministerial-code","tag-s-office","tag-5859","tag-38039","tag-36933","tag-a-client","tag-a-comprehensive-national-lobbying-act","tag-a-five-year-lobbying-ban","tag-a-lobby-role","tag-a-loophole","tag-a-national-lobbying-act-mr-slattery","tag-a-paying-sec-newgate-client","tag-a-revolving-door","tag-a-senior-consultant","tag-a-vip-suite","tag-access","tag-access-and-influence","tag-accountability","tag-activity","tag-administrative-guidelines","tag-albanese-government","tag-all-appropriate-disclosures","tag-anika-wells","tag-anika-wells-vip-ticket-controversy","tag-any-wrongdoing","tag-au","tag-auspol","tag-australia","tag-australian-democracy-network","tag-australian-democracy-network-senior-campaigner-christian-slattery","tag-australian-politics","tag-austrlia","tag-ben-oquist","tag-butler","tag-calls","tag-christian-slattery","tag-commercial-interests","tag-conduct","tag-conflicts","tag-corporate-gifts","tag-detailed-public-reporting","tag-documents","tag-enforceable-legal-standards","tag-family-travel","tag-federal-lobbying-laws","tag-federal-policy","tag-finn-mccarthy","tag-firm-sec-newgate","tag-five-key-reforms","tag-former-chief","tag-former-ministers","tag-freebies","tag-government-decisions","tag-greens","tag-greens-senator-sarah-hanson-young","tag-growing-scrutiny","tag-health-minister","tag-health-minister-mark-butler","tag-her-husband","tag-her-husband-finn-mccarthy","tag-her-lobbyist-husband-ben-oquist","tag-her-register","tag-his-new-corporate-role","tag-his-role","tag-historical-client-relationships","tag-in-house-government-relations-staff","tag-independent-oversight","tag-individual-lobbyists","tag-intense-scrutiny","tag-interactions","tag-interest","tag-interests","tag-just-months","tag-labor","tag-lobbying-activity","tag-lobbying-code-of-conduct","tag-lobbying-laws","tag-lobbying-loopholes","tag-lobbyist","tag-loopholes","tag-mark-butler","tag-martin","tag-mccarthy","tag-meetings","tag-minister","tag-ministerial-code-of-conduct","tag-ministerial-diaries","tag-ministers","tag-ministers-and-government-departments","tag-ministers-and-politicians","tag-mr-butler","tag-mr-martin","tag-mr-mccarthy","tag-mr-oquist","tag-mr-slattery","tag-ms-wells","tag-much-more-information","tag-news24-com-au","tag-nick-martin","tag-no-suggestion","tag-ooshie-video-ms-wells","tag-oquist","tag-parliament-and-lobbying","tag-particular-clients","tag-political-insiders-and-lobbyists","tag-private-interests","tag-privileged-face-to-face-meetings","tag-purpose","tag-sarah-hanson-young","tag-sec-newgate","tag-senator","tag-slattery","tag-staff","tag-sydney-swans","tag-taxpayer-money","tag-the-report","tag-the-afl","tag-the-australian-democracy-network","tag-the-brisbane-lions-v-sydney-swans-match","tag-the-case","tag-the-client","tag-the-club","tag-the-code","tag-the-controversy","tag-the-definition","tag-the-federal-lobbyist-register","tag-the-fundamental-problem","tag-the-invisible-hand","tag-the-lobbying-code","tag-the-media","tag-the-minister","tag-the-ministerial-and-lobbyists-codes","tag-the-power","tag-the-prime-minister","tag-the-problem","tag-the-public","tag-the-public-interest","tag-the-publication","tag-the-shortcomings","tag-the-sydney-swans","tag-the-sydney-swans-account","tag-the-system","tag-the-tickets","tag-the-time","tag-the-top-job","tag-the-transparency-register","tag-the-vip-suite","tag-the-way","tag-their-actions","tag-third-party-lobbyists","tag-this-case","tag-three-major-proble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<\/p>\n![\"Sarah](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/e1297dbf5e4f5d1af8cbcd53c3ac2fb8.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n