Lobbying rules in NSW are woefully inadequate but Icac’s calls for reform keep getting ignored

The state’s corruption watchdog is up against the age-old dynamic of cosy relationships: no one on the inside of politics wants to change

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Australia’s parliaments aren’t just filled with MPs, staff and media – but also armies of lobbyists seeking an audience or a coffee with the people who can affect their interests with the stroke of a pen.

Millions of dollars are at stake. Will the government rezone land? Tweak a law that makes an activity legal? Exempt an activity from tax or grant an environmental approval?