Cleaning up Politics and Strengthening Democracy

Cleaning up politics

Strengthening democracy

Strengthen Lobbying Regulations

The number of companies listed on South Australia’s lobbyist register has more than doubled since 2014. If this trend continues, SA will very soon have twice as many companies registered to lobby our politicians as we have politicians themselves. There are now there are 128 companies, some headed by former Government ministers, working behind the scenes to advance the interests of their clients which include gambling companies, international private equity firms, and defence corporations¹. This number doesn’t even include the in-house teams at large companies such as BHP and Santos, which are not required to register as lobbyists under the current rules.

It’s time to close the revolving door between politics and vested interests that erodes public trust and gives corporations undue influence over government decisions. The Greens want to strengthen lobbying regulations, including by ensuring that ‘in-house’ lobbyists are captured by the rules and extending the lobbying regulation scheme to local government. The Greens also want to ban all MPs from lobbying activity for 2 years after leaving their role and extend the existing ban to prevent former ministers and shadow ministers and their senior staff from lobbying for 5 years. Stronger lobbying regulations will stop politicians from prioritising industry mates over the public good.

The Greens also want to require Government Ministers to proactively disclose their diaries, just as they already do in ACT, New South Wales, and Queensland. South Australians deserve to know who is trying to influence government decisions and to be assured that backroom deals aren’t taking place. In 2022, the Greens successfully passed a bill through the Upper House to make ministerial diary disclosures the law, but the Malinauskas Government has left the bill to languish in the Lower House, refusing to back this simple, common-sense reform.

We also want to strengthen reporting obligations for Members of Parliament and ensure that the public has easy and quick access to documents requested through FOIs. Greater transparency means greater accountability and higher standards of governance.

^{1.  https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/in-depth/2025/07/02/the-rise-of-the-professional-lobbyist-in-south-australia}

Cracking Down on Government Advertising

While South Australia struggles through a health crisis and a cost-of-living crisis the State Government is spending tens of millions of dollars on advertising to bolster their credentials. We urgently need to crack down on this partisan self-promotion by creating regulations on government advertising which ensure that it is in the public interest. In 2024, the Upper House passed a Greens bill to require all advertising of more than $10,000 in the lead up to elections to require the approval by the Auditor-General or both Houses of Parliament and put rules put in place to ban MPs and Ministers from being featured in ads and prevent ads from promoting any political party. Labor has yet to put their money where their mouth is and back this reform in the Lower House. South Australians shouldn’t be asked to bankroll backslapping when they’re struggling to afford a doctor and pay their rent. 

 

Holding Members of Parliament to Account

Parliament makes the laws that govern our workplaces, so it should demonstrate the highest standards when it comes to workplace safety and managing complaints. When the South Australian Parliament established a Code of Conduct back in 2021, the Greens moved to impose fines or suspensions for those who contravened the code. This was opposed by all other parties. Without these powers, SA Parliament’s Code of Conduct is a toothless tiger.

It’s vital for the integrity of our Parliament and the community’s faith in our democratic institutions that there are consequences for MPs who fail to meet the standards of behaviour that people deserve and expect. The Greens will strengthen the Code of Conduct by establishing a Parliamentary Standards Commission, an independent body that operates without political interference, with powers to take MPs to task for breaches of the Code. South Australians need to trust that their elected officials will be held responsible for their conduct. A strong and transparent process is needed to provide that confidence.

 

Lowering the Voting Age

Climate change, mental health, education and the cost of living are just some of the huge challenges facing young South Australians. 16- and 17-year-olds can work, pay taxes, drive cars, and even join the military – but they cannot vote on decisions that impact their lives. They deserve a real say over the decisions that shape their future.

Our democracy is stronger when more people can participate in decision making. That's why the Greens want to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote in state and local elections. South Australia has a proud history of expanding voting rights — we were the second place in the world to grant women both the right to vote and the second to grant women the right to stand for parliament.  

The voting age is already 16 in Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Scotland and Wales. Let’s become the first place in Australia to give 16-year-olds the right to vote and set the agenda for the rest of the country to follow.

 

A Human Rights Charter for SA

As South Australians, we pride ourselves on enjoying so many freedoms, yet our laws do not adequately reflect or protect them.

All of us deserve to feel safe and to have equal opportunities in life, no matter our background, ability, gender, sexuality, income or postcode. Without a Charter of Rights, it’s too easy for Governments to take freedoms away, to trample on our rights and liberties as we have seen happen all too often in the recent past.

In SA, children as young as 10 years old can be detained in a police prison or watch-house. Fossil fuel extraction threatens people’s right to a clean environment. In 2023, the State Government passed new laws to crack down on protests, leaving people facing huge fines and even jail time just for exercising their rights to speech and assembly. 

The Greens want to create a Human Rights Charter for SA, following the examples of Victoria and the ACT. The Charter would define our essential human rights and require public authorities, such as state and local governments, to act consistently with the human rights in the Charter, ensuring that the dignity and freedoms of every South Australian are protected.

 

 

Protect the right to protest

In 2023, Labor and the Liberals launched an extraordinary attack on our democracy – ramming extreme laws through Parliament that crack down on protesters and all those who gather in the public space.

Under these laws, protesters who obstruct public space can now face fines up of up to $50,000 or 3 months in jail.

The major parties claim that the laws are in response to the protests we have seen against the fossil fuel industry. The right to peaceful protest and civil disobedience are fundamental to our democracy, and it’s chilling to see the Labor and Liberal parties working together to protect the interests of big corporations ahead of the democratic rights of South Australians.

The Greens joined with organisations including SA Unions, Conservation SA, the Human Rights Law Centre, and Amnesty International Australia in opposing these draconian laws.

Disappointingly, the Government ignored the strong community opposition and decided to push the laws through the Upper House of Parliament after 14 hours of debate. The Greens brought a bill to repeal these draconian anti-protest laws to a vote in State Parliament, but the Labor and Liberal parties doubled down on their support for the laws and voted down my bill. But the fight isn't over.

 The Greens will keep up the fight to protect the right to protest.