Complaint was made to former prime minister only months before the federal election, internal documents show

Malcolm Turnbull received direct warnings about paid lobbyists who were simultaneously occupying powerful roles in the Liberal party hierarchy, internal documents have revealed.

Labor, the Liberals and the Nationals have all allowed lobbyists – who are paid to push the interests of big business – to simultaneously hold executive roles. Party executives wield significant influence, helping to determine policy, raise funds and organise campaigns and preselections.

In 2016, the practice was dubbed a potential corruption risk by former prime minister Tony Abbott, who has attempted to stamp it out since 2013.

The documents, obtained through freedom of information laws, show the practice has prompted a string of complaints in recent years.

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One complaint was made directly to Turnbull, the then prime minister, on 8 April 2016, only months before the federal election. The Liberal party was conducting preselections in New South Wales at the time.

An unidentified complainant wrote to Turnbull:

“Dear Malcolm,” the complainant said. “Before any more preselections take place next week in faction-ruled NSW, there is an urgent need for you to reaffirm the Abbott/O’Farrell ban on lobbyists in executive roles.”

Large slabs of detail are redacted from the note, before it finishes:

“Who can I talk to in your office about this?”

Quick guide Political lobbying in Australia: the basics Show Hide What do lobbyists do? Lobbyists attempt to influence government policy or decisions on behalf of either a client or their own organisation. Ethical lobbying is a valuable and important element of a healthy democracy. It helps those who have a stake in government policy to convey their views and expertise. There are two broad types of lobbyists: third-party lobbyists, who are engaged as consultants; in-house lobbyists, who work directly for corporations or interest groups. Who hires lobbyists? For many Australians, lobbying conjures images of powerful corporations working to sway politicians behind the scenes. There is a truth in that. The big banks, mining and energy giants, pharmaceutical companies, casinos, Amazon, Google and Facebook all engage lobbyists. But lobbyists also work on behalf of not-for-profits and community groups, including for veterans, social workers, aged-care staff, school principals and environmental organisations. What is the lobbyist register? The lobbyist register is the public's only window into the world of lobbying. It's a publicly available online list of lobbying firms, individual lobbyists and their clients. The register was a huge step forward when it was introduced in 2008, but remains frustratingly opaque. It doesn't tell us who is lobbying whom, about what, or when. Compare that with the ACT, where lobbyists are required to file quarterly reports on their activities, or NSW, where ministers are required to publish their diaries. The federal register is also completely blind to the activities of in-house lobbyists. What is the lobbyist code of conduct? The code tells lobbyists how they must behave when approaching the government and is designed to maintain ethical standards. But the code is not legislated and has no real teeth. It goes largely unenforced and the punishments are weak. The worst sanction available to authorities is removing a lobbyist from the register. The US and Canada have fines or jail terms for law breaches. Who keeps an eye on lobbyists? Federally it's the prime minister's department that loosely oversees lobbying. It takes on a largely administrative role, rather than an investigative or regulatory one. Its core job is to maintain the register and communicate the code's requirements to lobbyists. It lacks independence, relies on reports of bad lobbying and rarely, if ever, takes enforcement action.

The documents reveal similar complaints were made in 2016 and 2017.

One complaint, made to the secretary of the department of prime minister and cabinet in April 2016, reported a “serious breach of the lobbying code of conduct by [redacted]”. Again, the details are redacted. It is unclear even to which party the complaint refers.

“This breach is not only formal, it goes to the essence of the government’s objective of compliance with the requirements of the code ‘in accordance with their spirit, intention, and purpose’.”

“[Redacted] in defiance of the code’s requirement that the register shall not include ‘a member of a state or federal political party executive or administrative committee’.

“The impropriety of lobbyists determining candidates for political office who they may, on election, then approach on behalf of paying clients, represents an intolerable conflict of interest and is in clear breach of the stated intent of the code.

“It would be unfortunate if this breach were not to be resolved before the political atmosphere becomes even more confrontational when the upcoming election campaign begins.”

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The lobbying code of conduct explicitly forbids lobbyists from holding party executive roles. But the code is hardly enforced and carries no real punishment.

The documents also show that in 2014 a lobbyist self-reported to the department, saying they had been appointed to a party committee without formally agreeing to take the position.

“This committee has constitutional duties in the administration of the affairs governing the party’s decision-making processes in [redacted].

“I do not believe that I have breached the lobbyists code of conduct as I have never been formally appointed to this committee, have never partaken in any of its activities or been aware that I had been considered a member of this committee other than is expressed in the attached email correspondence. I have now formally requested the [redacted] to withdraw my name from the list of members of this committee.”