Lobbyist Code of Conduct and Register

Obligations of Lobbyists and Government Representatives

Lobbyist Obligations

The Lobbyist Code of Conduct (PDF - 45KB) contains a number of provisions relating to your obligations.

Registration

  • You must register your details on the South Australian Lobbyist Register before making contact with a South Australian Government representative. Please note that if you do not do so, it may delay or prevent you from conducting business with that contact.

  • You must provide the required information about the business, its personnel and its clients for inclusion on the register, supported by a statutory declaration.

  • You are required to keep your entry in the register up to date. Any material change in details of your registration must be advised within 10 business days of the change by completing the Change of Details form (Word - 45KB) and sending it to the South Australian Lobbyist Register. Please be aware that as necessary you may need to submit new statutory declarations, attesting to the new information provided.

  • The information supplied must in any event be renewed annually within 10 days of 30 June each year.

Contact with government representatives

Upon making contact you must inform the government representative:

  • that you are a lobbyist (or an employee, contractor etc engaged by a lobbyist)
  • whether you are currently listed on the lobbyist register
  • that you are making contact on behalf of a third party
  • the name of the third party and the nature of their issue.

Ethical Conduct

  • You may not engage in conduct that is corrupt, dishonest or illegal or cause threaten any detriment.

  • You must use all reasonable endeavours to be truthful and accurate.

  • You must not make misleading, exaggerated or extravagant claims or misrepresent your access to institutions of government, political parties or individuals.

  • You must keep strictly separate from your lobbying activities any personal activities or involvement on behalf of a political party.

Government Representative Obligations

The term 'government representatives' includes Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, ministerial staff and any persons employed, contracted or engaged by any public sector agency.

As such, a wide range of provisions potentially apply by operation of the Ministerial Code of Conduct, Code of Conduct for South Australian Public Sector Employees, Public Sector Act 2009 and other applicable codes and legislation. Specific requirements are also addressed in the Lobbyist Code of Conduct 2009.

Upon contact by a lobbyist or someone thought to be a lobbyist:

  • Although the obligation is on the lobbyist to advise you, you should nevertheless enquire as to whether the person has registered their details with the South Australian Lobbyist Register

  • If the person’s details have not been registered they should be directed to do so as a matter of urgency prior to continuing any contact.

  • The Code provides that a government representative shall not knowingly and intentionally be a party to lobbying by a lobbyist who is not on the South Australian Lobbyist Register or who has failed to observe the requirements to accurately disclose information about their registration status, who they are representing and the nature of the issue upon which they are representing a third party.

Remember that contact by a lobbyist can include contact made in informal or social settings. It is important to be alert to situations where someone is seeking to influence your view as a government representative.

Obligations relating to former Ministers and Other Government Representatives

  • A Minister who leaves office may not engage in professional lobbying activities in relation to any matter they had official dealings with in their last 18 months in office, for a period of two years after leaving office.

  • A Parliamentary Secretary may not engage in professional lobbying activities in relation to any matter they had official dealings with in their last 12 months of office, for a period of 12 months after leaving office.

  • A ministerial staff member or departmental executive may not engage in professional lobbying in relation to any matter they had official dealings with in the last 12 months of employment for a period of 12 months after ceasing employment.