Independents To Force Action On Gambling, Lobbying Laws

Independents are pressing hot-button concerns such as prohibiting gambling ads, opening ministerial diaries to the public and curbing the impact of political lobbyists.


Crossbenchers have laid out a list of key concerns if they're re-elected into a hung parliament, informing an openness forum they'll force the government to act on the largely untouched issues.


Reforming lobbying, permitting the nationwide anti-corruption commission to hold public hearings, developing a whistleblower protection authority and having truth in political marketing laws are amongst the for crossbench MPs.


This consisted of Allegra Spender, Zali Steggall, Monique Ryan, Andrew Wilkie, Kate Chaney and Senator David Pocock.


Ms Steggall indicated consumer defenses against deceptive and deceptive ads, comparing it without any truth in political marketing laws.


"It resembles we don't value our voting rights the same method as we value our customer rights," she said.


Senator Pocock called lobbying laws "an outright joke", stating 80 per cent of lobbyists weren't covered by the standard procedure and there were no real charges for misconduct.


The senator and Dr Ryan have actually pressed in parliament for laws that would open ministerial journals so the general public can discover ministers fulfilling with lobbyists.


Ms Spender also named a total restriction on betting ads after Labor shelved plans to act.


"This is a contest between beneficial interests who are winning to date, versus community interests who understand that this needs to be banned and I will fight for that," she stated.


Ms Spender is also battling the Australian Electoral Commission for more openness over its findings that a person person was accountable for sending out some 47,000 unauthorised pamphlets targeting her in her electorate of Wentworth.


The commission said the individual acted alone, had no link to a political celebration or candidates contesting the seat and it was thinking about whether to press for civil penalties for breaking electoral law after the May 3 election.


Ms Spender revealed concern about keeping the identity concealed, asking "how can citizens think about the source if the AEC will not identify that source", in referral to the laws requiring authorisation for transparency purposes.