Lobbying

The business of lobbying, while often useful, can also lead to actual, or implications of, undue influence and other unfair practices.

Part 1 of the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014 (TLNPCTUAA 2014) makes provisions regulating consultant lobbying—the business of making representations to government on behalf of clients with the aim of providing greater transparency for the public about the business of lobbying.

Consultant lobbyists are required to be registered, and disclose the names of their clients on a public register. They are also required to disclose whether they subscribe to a publicly available code of conduct.

Although the register contains a list of lobbyists’ clients, meaning there is transparency about who is lobbying the government and on whose behalf, this does not necessarily mean it is clear what they are lobbying about.

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