NSW tightens rules on lobbyists after an anti-corruption inquiry, but critics say it does not go far enough
The Sydney Morning Herald and its sister mastheads reported on Monday, October 12, a crackdown on political lobbyists after what they called an explosive anti-corruption inquiry, with a second report saying the Minns Government had watered down reforms to control the powers behind the thrones. The headline items we saw did not set out which hearings prompted the change, what the rules require, or when they start.
Lobbyists shape who gets a ministerial ear, and weak rules are one of the ways influence can slip out of public view. How strict NSW sets its rules will be watched by other states.
If you deal with government in business, expect more disclosure of who met whom and why. Everyone else can look at the public lobbyist register once it is updated.
Any tightening is progress, and the reforms can be strengthened later.
A watered-down regime lets the same relationships carry on while appearing to fix them.
We have only one publisher’s summaries, so this is a pointer, not a verdict. The test will be whether secret meetings are banned and penalties are real.
DailyDrop Australia edition No. 9 · Morning · TUE., OCT. 13, 2026