Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Australian lobbyist registers are not serving the purposes they were designed for

    Access Status
    Fulltext not available
    Authors
    Robertson, N.
    Kypri, K.
    Stafford, J.
    Daube, Mike
    Avery, M.
    Miller, P.
    Date
    2017
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Robertson, N. and Kypri, K. and Stafford, J. and Daube, M. and Avery, M. and Miller, P. 2017. Australian lobbyist registers are not serving the purposes they were designed for. Drug and Alcohol Review.
    Source Title
    Drug and Alcohol Review
    DOI
    10.1111/dar.12583
    ISSN
    0959-5236
    School
    Public Health Advocacy Institute of WA
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/56042
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs. Introduction and Aims. There is widespread concern about the nature, extent and impacts of lobbying by industries selling unhealthy commodities, which threatens public health and undermines important democratic processes. In the last decade, all Australian jurisdictions (except the Northern Territory) have established lobbyist registers with the stated objective of increasing the capacity of government and the public to scrutinise lobbying. Our aim was to assess whether the registers are fulfilling this objective. Design and Methods. We conducted web searches of registers in Australian jurisdictions in 2014 and 2015 to determine what type of information they collected and whether data were accessible. We supplemented searches with e-mails and phone calls to registrars to clarify policies and seek additional information. Results. We found that the data were lacking in critical details and historical information was difficult or impossible to obtain. None of the registers required in-house lobbyists to register or to be bound by the Lobbying Codes of Conduct. None required that informal lobbying (e.g. by government relations staff within a company) be recorded, and none provided detailed information about the nature and extent of lobbying activities. Discussion and Conclusions. The registers do not meet the stated objective of making lobbying activity transparent to the Australian public. Timely access to comprehensive information is essential to help promote the rational development of policy concerning tobacco, alcohol and gambling problems. There is an urgent need to reform lobbyist registers to ensure that they are comprehensive and transparent.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Envisaging a ‘smoke-free’ world: An exploratory study of Philip Morris International’s strategic positioning in Australia
      Wolf, Katharina ; Cirillo Woodman, Danielle; Maycock, Bruce; McCausland, Kahlia (2020)
      The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared tobacco smoking a global health epidemic, citing 8 million deaths and an economic cost of around 1.4 trillion USD per year. Under a UN mandate a global voluntary target was ...
    • Rock lobster: Lobby Loyde and the history of rock music in Australia
      Beilharz, Peter (2012)
      This article responds to the new and major work on Lobby Loyde by Paul Oldham. It focuses on the middle period of Loyde's career, from the Chicago-period Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs through to Lobby's work with Sharpie ...
    • Insights into local health and wellbeing policy process in Australia
      Lilly, Kara ; Hallett, Jonathan ; Robinson, Suzanne ; Selvey, Linda A. (2020)
      To investigate factors that enable or challenge the initiation and actioning of health and wellbeing policy in Australian local governments using political science frameworks. An online survey was distributed to staff and ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.