The success of lobbyists is widening the Gap

December 1, 2023

As John Menadue put it in September last year, Regulation of the way we manage lobbying in Australia is an even more important issue than a National Integrity Commission. The lobbying of governments around the world by the fossil fuel industry is a major reason for the Climate Emergency we now face. At COP27 in Egypt, there were 636 representatives of oil and gas industries, a rise of more than 25 per cent on the previous year. When tabling her Lobbying (Improving Government Honesty and Trust) Bill, Monique Ryan the Member for Kooyong explained how the lobbying Code of Conduct meets only one of ten key OECD principles. Eighty per cent of those who lobby Australian politicians are not even registered. The 2023 UN Production Gap Report found planned production of fossil fuels is more than double that required to limit warming to 1.5C. The relationship between Australian politicians and fossil-fuel lobbyists, means even new coal mines are being approved. As David Shearman puts it, Australia is widening the production Gap. All power to Ryan and others who expose the governments hypocrisy and work to improve legislation. Students who recently took to the streets will know who to vote for.