"Transparency Overhaul Urged to Revive Trust in Government Standards In a bid to restore faith in the integrity of the government, the head of the ethics and integrity commission has proposed a sweeping overhaul of transparency laws. According to a review led by Doug Chalmers, all lobbying activities, from casual WhatsApp conversations to high-profile party conference meetings, should be publicly disclosed. The proposed new register would shed light on the individuals and organizations influencing government policies, the specific issues they are pushing for, and the government officials they are meeting with. This move aims to increase transparency and accountability, and could have significant implications for the way lobbyists operate and the government responds to their efforts."
Ethics and integrity commission chief says overhaul is crucial to help restore trust in standardsAll lobbying of government ministers, aides and senior officials should be publicly declared – from WhatsApp chats to party conference meetings – in a fundamental shake-up of transparency laws, the government’s ethics watchdog has said.A review led by Doug Chalmers, the head of the ethics and integrity commission, has called for a new register to highlight who is lobbying, which policies they are seeking to influence and who in government they are meeting. Continue reading...
