Political lobbyists with unfettered access to Australia’s parliament to be publicly named

Under the new lobbyist pass rules, two MPs will need to sign for a lobbyist to register for a pass, with the primary sponsor responsible for their behaviour. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian

Political lobbyists with unfettered access to the halls of Parliament House – and the MPs who sponsor their passes – will soon be publicly identified in an online register, under a major shake-up of the parliamentary pass system.

Under the new rules, two MPs will need to sign for a lobbyist to register for a pass, with the primary sponsor responsible for their behaviour. It will also introduce fees for lobbyist and commercial passes.