Lobbying and Activism in Public Affairs; Australia
Order Instructions:
Using examples from an area of Australia public policy that has had significant news coverage during the course examine and discuss the role played by public affairs practitioners involved in lobbying and activism in this policy area.
Australian Asylum Policy
Australian government statistics show that between 2012 and 2013 more than 18,000 people arrived in Australia illegally by sea, compared to 7,300 in 2011 and 2012. The policy and legislation surrounding refugee policy, aptly named the ‘Stop the Boats’ policy, has caused significant controversy, attracting both criticism and support in Australian public policy over the last decade. The Asylum Seeker policy states that;
“These laws and policies have undergone continuing change by successive Governments over the last decade or more, and many have also been subject to judicial consideration and extensive public inquiry and review. The result is a system that is complex and difficult to access and understand. Changes have also occurred that have had an impact on the ability of protection visa applicants to access legal or migration advice.”
(Law Council of Australia, 2014).
Current state of play
Australia’s political processes are crucially influence by, and to a large extent dependent on the activities and efforts of stakeholder and interest groups. Lobbying plays a central role in Australia’s policy and legislative processes. While lobbying is only one means of exerting political influence, it is nevertheless an important one.
Lobbying is a legitimate activity and an important part of the democratic process. Lobbyists can help individuals and organisations communicate their views on matters of public interest to the Government and, in doing so, “improve outcomes for the individual and the community as a whole.” (Australian Government: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2013)
As public policies become more complex and the stakes of government decisions rise, all interests need effective representation. Government officials need lobbyists, and vice-versa.
Relevant Background
In 2008, the Australian Government introduced a Lobbying Code of Conduct and established a Register of Lobbyists to ensure that contact between lobbyists and Commonwealth Government representatives is conducted in accordance with “public expectations of transparency, integrity and honesty” (Australian Government: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, 2013).
Any lobbyist who acts on behalf of third party clients must be registered on the Register of Lobbyists and comply with the requirements of the Lobbying Code of Conduct
Australian lobbyists who do register must disclose whether they have served in the government.
There is a need to expand the definition of lobbying to “include attempts to influence grassroots campaigns, advertising, and the use of social media as so-called strategic communication firms increase their lobbying roles” (Loomis, 2013)
Key actors, forces and issues
Lobbyists
The Australian Government
Third party clients and organisations
Public affairs practitioners
The general Australian public
How do each of these key factors represent and influence asylum seeker policy in Australia?
Key issues or points of contention or controversy
Refugee policy in Australia has been hugely controversial. Australia has international obligations to protect the human rights of all asylum seekers and refugees who arrive in Australia, regardless of how or where they arrive and whether they arrive with or without a visa. Arguably, the Stop the Boats policy and introduction of Operation Sovereign Rights under the Abbott Government do not protect these basic human rights underlined by international treaties such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. The detention of asylum seekers has raised criticism regarding the refugee’s human rights.
Research
I am interested to investigate the ways in which lobby groups have changed refugee policy. I plan to conduct more research into the two opposing lobby groups, such as A Just Australia, that act on behalf of asylum seeker policy through websites and news articles. I plan to look at the cases for and against the recent asylum seeker policies whilst building on the framework on the importance of lobbying and activism in public affairs and the public interest.
Questions
Do you think that lobbying is fundamental to protect the public interest and develop policy?
“Government officials need lobbyists and vice-versa”: What do you think of this statement? Do you think this is true for the Australian Government?
What is your personal opinion and reflections on the ‘Stop the Boats’ policy and the way in which the Abbott Government respond to public lobbying surrounding the controversial issue?
Do you think that lobbyists should be held accountable for their actions in controversial policy areas?
SAMPLE ANSWER
Lobbying and Activism in Public Affairs
Lobbying involves the influence of government decision-making with the aim of protecting public interests, and it is a common practice in contemporary democratic societies. In most cases, lobbying helps in improving government decisions and legislation through the provision of significant data and insight. However, there is also a possibility of lobbying not to achieve these goals, or to result to unfair advantages in such cases where an improper approach is taken.
It is true to state that “Government officials need lobbyists and vice-versa”. This is because for any democracy to address fundamental concerns with regards to integrity and accessibility, it is important to ensure that the concerns of all stakeholders are put into consideration during decision-making. Accordingly, owing to the important role played by lobbyists in the protection public interests and development of policy, the government should work closely with these groups. However, in the Australian context, the government and lobbyists do not cooperate in public policy development due to their differing ideologies. Whereas the government aims at maintaining national security by preserving state control over the borders, lobby groups are of the view that policies which breach human rights are not good.
With regards to the ‘Stop the Boats’ policy and the manner in which Abbott’s Government is responding to public lobbying surrounding this controversial issue, I believe that the government is not ensuring integrity by locking out the views and grievances presented by lobby groups. The government has a mandate of giving proper weight to its human rights obligations (Bailey, 2002), as reflected in the insight given by lobby groups.
Do you think that lobbyists should be held accountable for their actions in controversial policy areas?
References
Bailey, J. (2002). Australia and asylum-seekers: is a policy of protection in the “national interest”? Retrieved from: http://motspluriels.arts.uwa.edu.au/MP2102jb.html
OECD. (2012). Lobbying: Influencing Decision Making with Transparency and Integrity. CleanGovBiz. Retrieved from: http://www.oecd.org/cleangovbiz/toolkit/50101671.pdf
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