Australian politics' 'revolving door' is undermining efforts to counter lobbying and potential corruption, and the regulation system is hopelessly flawed.

Lobbying is a necessary component of representative democracy, yet poses one of its greatest threats, writes George Rennie.

Over the past 20 years, lobbying activities in Australia have expanded dramatically. Following the United States' lead, where a radical shift in ideology in the 1970s led to a re-evaluation of the way corporations view their role in society, the notion of corporate “civic duty” has been replaced by a belief that governments and the...