Independents To Force Action On Gambling, Lobbying Laws

Independents are pressing hot-button issues such as banning gambling ads, opening ministerial journals to the general public and curbing the impact of political lobbyists.


Crossbenchers have detailed a list of key top priorities if they're re-elected into a hung parliament, telling an openness online forum they'll require the government to act on the mainly unblemished issues.


Reforming lobbying, allowing the nationwide anti-corruption commission to hold public hearings, developing a whistleblower security authority and having reality in political marketing laws are among the targets 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 versus deceptive and deceptive advertisements, comparing it without any fact in political marketing laws.


"It resembles we do not value our voting rights the same way as we value our consumer rights," she said.


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


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


Ms Spender likewise named an overall ban on betting ads after Labor shelved plans to act.


"This is a contest between beneficial interests who are winning to date, versus neighborhood 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 transparency over its findings that one person was accountable for sending out some 47,000 unauthorised pamphlets targeting her in her electorate of Wentworth.


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


Ms Spender expressed issue about keeping the identity hidden, asking "how can citizens think about the source if the AEC will not identify that source", in reference to the laws needing authorisation for transparency functions.