Crikey reads have their say.
Lobbyists
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Small business and the light on the hill
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Lobbyists and public policy decisions
Crikey readers have their say.
Business’ $10m carbon tax rally — will anyone show up?
Confusion surrounds the fledgling Australian Trade and Industry Alliance and its advertising campaign against the federal government’s carbon price scheme, with industry groups unsure of its membership or direction, writes Crikey intern Andrew Duffy.
Westpac’s Labor insiders go to work in Canberra
Westpac has turned to two former Labor staffers to represent it in Canberra as the heat comes on to regulate the banks.
Political snippets: Disappointment abounds at CPI’s small rise
The consumer price index figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Australia does not yet have an inflationary problem
Come in Spinner: Does anybody in Canberra really know anything?
Getting close to a subject in political science often makes things darker and harder to see and journalists in the press gallery are no exception, writes Noel Turnbull.
Goldman’s secret army
Goldman Sachs may be publicly cheering for tighter financial regulations, but behind the scenes, it has spent $6 million in the last year alone, running an army of DC lobbyists, employing the services of 14 separate lobbying firms.
Video of the Day: Public Option Annie: an impromptu insurance industry musical
Protestors from Billionaires for Wealthcare interrupt a meeting of insurance lobbyists America’s Health Insurance Plans, which is doing its darndest to stop health care reform — in song!
Soros spends $1b on a green paint job
Billionaire George Soros has received plenty of positive press for pledging to invest $1 billion in green technology and forming an environmental lobby group. But is lobbying for your investments really philanthropy? Or just rent-seeking?
Political snippets: Funeral lobby leaves regulation in its wake
This week in lobbyville, the nation’s undertakers appear to be embarking on a campaign to keep the cost of dying high by calling on governments to regulate low cost operators out of business.
Obama vs the lobbyists: who’s winning?
On his first day in office, Barack Obama issued an executive order targeting lobbyists’ power. But with 3,300 lobbyists working on health care alone, he underestimated the task ahead. Andy Kroll checks out the scorecard.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: Paul Kelly, John Howard and East Timor
Crikey readers weigh in on John Howard’s involvement in East Timor’s independence, the lobbyist to MP ratio and Senator Steve Fielding’s spelling.
Four to one: our lobbyist to MP ratio
Federal Parliament now has at least four lobbyists for every MP and Senator, according to the Government’s Register of Lobbyists. And that’s only counting third-party lobbyists.
Lobbyists fall on hard times
Washington now has 2,200 fewer registered lobbyists than a year ago, even though it’s prime time for political lobbying, with health care and energy legislation up for grabs. Companies just don’t have the money, says Dan Eggen
Lobbyists’ MP form guide: Hockey “buffoon”, Wong “least impressive”, Bishop “no cred”, Turnbull “no contest”
As an insight into the views of a senior Canberra lobbying outfit, these notes from Endeavour Consulting are priceless and very informative of what well-placed insiders think of key players in Canberra.
Pearson: Wild Rivers run with the stink of lobbyists
The handling of the Wild Rivers process indicates a complete disequilibrium in power, writes Noel Pearson. The indigenous community must have equal access to government.
Tips and rumours: Lobbyists on the move
Labor spinner Alex Cramb will be returning to lobbying outfit Government Relations Australia next week, a tipster tells Crikey today.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: A clarification on children in detention
Lobbyists … Detention centres … that Grech guy … First Dog on christianity … Walkmans and Helen Razer … MJ jokes. It’s all on Crikey readers’ minds today.
New lobbyists land in Canberra every week
The Rudd Government’s Lobbyist Register celebrates its first birthday today and is in rude health.
Tips and rumours: Memo to lobbyists: update your details please
In today’s Crikey tips and rumours, a request for lobbyists to update their details and NSW Treasurer Eric Roozendaal tries to avoid “dirty dancing” incident.
Hot tips for lobbying Ministers
Our source — who’s been both a lobbyist and the recipient of lobbying — is now doling out advice. For example, why not use the Opposition to raise your issue?
A golden age for lobbyists
As Obama spreads Washington’s reach, big government can mean big opportunities for lobbyists.
The top ten firms lobbying Washington on climate change
A new analysis of Senate disclosure records shows that more than 880 businesses and interest groups registered to lobby on climate change in the first quarter of 2009 — up more than 14%.
