While lobbying is accepted as a legitimate way of shaping public decision-making, a lack of integrity in the way it is conducted and regulated can contribute to a breakdown in trust between the public and government.

This paper examines the central shortcomings of the Australian regime for regulating lobbying and proposes comprehensive reform to address them. It calls on the federal government to work towards re-building trust with the public by prioritising transparency, integrity and equality in lobbying.

The paper reveals critical weaknesses, including a limited lobbying register that excludes most in-house corporate lobbyists, a narrow regulatory scope leaving lobbying of non-ministerial MPs unchecked, and lax enforcement that permits former officials to exploit insider connections through inadequate cooling-off periods.

Systemic loopholes disproportionately favour well-resourced insiders, marginalising broader democratic participation. To rectify these issues, comprehensive legislative reform is urgently recommended, expanding transparency, strengthening integrity measures, enforcing broader cooling-off periods and promoting equal access. The paper provides 15 recommendations.