ICAC continues public inquiry into lobbying

Thursday 17 October 2019

Update: please note that this phase will now sit for two days on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 October 2019.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption’s (ICAC) public inquiry into the regulation of lobbying, access and influence in NSW (Operation Eclipse) will continue next Monday, 21 October 2019 at 9:30 am.

Further details about Operation Eclipse, including transcripts and exhibits from phase 1 of the public inquiry, are available here. Next week’s phase will focus on corruption risks associated with lobbying, and lobbying practices in general.

Issues to be examined in this phase include:

•    the obligations of public officials to exercise public power honestly and impartially
•    the definition and registration of lobbyists
•    the disclosure of lobbying activity
•    the NSW lobbyists code of conduct
•    the oversight model of the Lobbying of Government Officials Act 2011
•    lobbying and influencing.

More details can be found in the Commission’s Operation Eclipse: lobbying, access and influence in NSW interim paper. The interim paper aims to update interested parties on the public inquiry, provide information on the issues raised above, and to seek further feedback from interested parties. It also includes comments and observations concerning the nature of corrupt conduct as it might apply to lobbying in NSW.

ICAC Chief Commissioner, the Hon Peter Hall QC, is presiding at the public inquiry. Counsel Assisting the Commission are Dr Nicholas Chen SC and Juliet Curtin.

The Commission is live streaming the proceedings in this public inquiry via the ICAC website. The live stream will be accessible under “News and media” on the Commission’s homepage from 9:30 am on Monday 21 October 2019.

Operation Eclipse differs from investigations usually conducted by the Commission in that it is not concerned with examining whether any particular individual may have engaged in corrupt conduct, but rather seeks to examine particular aspects of lobbying activities and the corruption risks involved in the lobbying of public authorities and officials.

Phase 2 of the inquiry is set down for three days. A witness list is attached for next week. Please note that this list is subject to change.


NSW INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION

OPERATION ECLIPSE PUBLIC INQUIRY

WITNESS LIST

Week beginning Monday 21 October 2019

Please note that this list is subject to change.

Monday 21 October
Stephen Galilee                                          Minerals Council NSW
Georgina Woods                                        Lock the Gate


Tuesday 22 October
Les Timar                                                  Australian Professional Government Relations Association (APGRA)
Joanna Quilty                                            NSW Council of Social Services (NCOSS)
Mary O’Kane                                             Independent Planning Commission
Matt Hingerty                                             Barton Deakin