Andrew Robb, Martin Ferguson, Peter Reith and Stephen Conroy are among the former ministers who swiftly took jobs as lobbyists

The former defence minister Christopher Pyne ignited fresh criticism this week when he took a job with consulting giant EY to help expand its defence business.

Pyne’s acceptance of the job has again put Australia’s revolving door between politics and business into stark relief.

Rules governing post-ministerial employment are weak and unenforced. They look laughable next to the five year-ban US president Donald Trump placed on members of his administration becoming lobbyists in 2017.

Pyne is far from alone. Australian politics is littered with examples of ministers from both major parties taking up roles in industries they were previously responsible for. In most cases, they have breached no rules. A Grattan Institute study found one in four ministers go on to work as lobbyists or for special interests. A Guardian investigation last year found more than half of all registered Australian lobbyists previously worked in some role within government or for the major political parties.

Andrew Robb, former Liberal trade minister

Andrew Robb was one of the key architects of the China-Australia free trade agreement before leaving parliament in 2016.

Christopher Pyne's defence job could put him in breach of ministerial standards, Labor says Read more

He accepted a role consulting to Ye Cheng, the owner of Landbridge, a company closely linked to the Chinese government. Landbridge was also controversially allowed to acquire the lease of Darwin Port. Robb left the consulting role in late 2018.

Martin Ferguson, former Labor resources minister

Martin Ferguson, the resources minister from 2007 to 2013, left parliament and took up a role with the peak industry body for the oil and gas industry, APPEA. Ferguson’s appointment as APPEA’s advisory board chair was made in the same year he left office. His acceptance of a job with the oil and gas lobby prompted fierce criticism from sections of West Australian Labor and the Maritime Union of Australia, which attempted to have Ferguson expelled from the party.

Peter Reith, former Liberal defence minister

Peter Reith, a defence minister until 2001, joined the then defence contracting behemoth Tenix Group almost immediately upon leaving parliament.

The group was then one of Australia’s biggest defence and technology contractors, though its defence business was bought out by BAE Systems in 2008. Reith consulted on government relations for Tenix, which continued to win government contracts.

Stephen Conroy, former Labor communications minister

Stephen Conroy quickly joined gambling industry lobby group Responsible Wagering Australia upon leaving parliament in September 2016. The group is backed James Packer’s CrownBet, Sportsbet, Betfair, Bet365 and Unibet, and also featured Liberal senator Richard Colbeck as a chair. The new job was announced in the same week NSW premier Barry O’Farrell was made head of Racing Australia. Conroy breached no rules in moving to RWA, and had finished his term as a cabinet minister in 2013.

But the move prompted criticism from former senator Nick Xenophon, who said Australia should follow Trump’s move to ban ministers from taking lobbyist jobs for five years.

Bernie Ripoll, former Labor parliamentary secretary to the treasurer

The former Labor MP Bernie Ripoll left parliament in 2015, known as the man who led Labor’s Future of Financial Advice (Fofa) reforms. The reforms helped shield consumers from misconduct by lenders and financial advisers. His efforts earned him the moniker “father of Fofa”.

After leaving parliament, Rippoll set up a firm, Fresh Advisory. Fresh Advisory acted as a registered lobbyist for the National Credit Providers Association. Rippoll has since joined the SAS Group, another lobbyist and consulting firm.