Posted by: Rod Bruem
A move by the Federal Government to introduce a 'code of conduct'
(
www.smh.com.au) for political lobbyists in Canberra sounds like a great
reform, but one that is easily dismissed as sheer window dressing.
Mr Rudd is proposing to put more restrictions on exactly how and when
lobbyists influence our elected members of parliament - but what makes it
hard to take seriously is that the Prime Minister and the Canberra press
gallery appears to have turned a blind eye to one of the closest lobbying
relationships happening right before our eyes.
The case in question involves ACT Labor Senator Kate Lundy who for years has
engaged in Senate debates on telecommunications policy without adequately
disclosing the potential conflict of interest created by the business
interests of her husband - David Forman - who just happens to be on the
payroll of the anti-Telstra cartel.
Over the past decade I've been watching Senate committees closely and I've
never seen Senator Lundy declare her relationship, or even abstain from any
debate in which there is a risk that she could be seen to be pushing the
interests of her lobbyist husband.
At times you get the impression that Lundy and Mr Forman plan their pincer
attacks on Telstra over the family breakfast table before taking themselves
up the hill and staging a public re-enactment before the cameras in
Parliament House.
Take an example from a fortnight ago.
On the same day the SingTel CEO was out attacking Telstra and Mr Forman was
releasing a bogus report claiming Telstra would be overcharging customers on
the planned high speed fibre network, Senator Lundy diverted Senate
estimates to ask a series of Dorothy dixer questions in pursuit of her
husband's latest cause.
If you read the exchange on Hansard (P44 -
www.aph.gov.au), you'll see
Senator Lundy sought the Senate's 'indulgence' to steer the debate away from
the more pressing issue of petrol prices, so she could waste time engaging
the ACCC's Graeme Samuel on her husband's pet cause.
A week later, Mr Forman used the exchange to conduct another anti-Telstra PR
attack , which some in the media (
www.computerworld.com.au) swallowed hook,
line and sinker.
None of the journalists who took the Forman bait seemed at all bothered to
question or even mention his relationship with Senator Lundy.
Similarly, none of the bureaucrats who are meant to uphold the standards of
the Senate ever publicly raise objections when Senator Lundy so blatantly
goes off on one of her anti-Telstra tangents.
As for the Liberal and National Party Senators - they're equally silent. Not
surprising really when you consider former Liberal Senator John Tierney used
the Senate committees to stage an extraordinary attack on Telstra a few
years ago, failing to declare that his wife worked for a charity Telstra was
proposing to cease a sponsorship arrangement with at the time. Once again,
all the 'insiders' including the Prime Minister knew about the Senator's
relationship, but no questions were asked and no disclosures were made or
sought.
I find it disgusting and it certainly makes me wonder about the real health
of our democracy and the real prospect of passing meaningful reforms to
control insidious lobbyists.
Surely Mr Rudd can't be serious? 
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