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Who is a lobbyist?

For the purposes of this register, a lobbyist is any person, company or organisation who conducts lobbying activities or whose employees conduct lobbying activities on behalf of a client.

There are a number of exclusions from this definition:

  1. Charitable, religious and other organisations or funds that are endorsed as deductible gift recipients.
  2. Non-profit associations or organisations constituted to represent the interests of their members that are not endorsed as deductible gift recipients.
  3. Professional associations, guilds, trade or union bodies who represent a class of professions, tradespersons, employers or other workforce entities.
  4. Individuals making representations on behalf of relatives or friends about their personal affairs.
  5. Members of trade delegations visiting Tasmania.
  6. Persons who are registered under an Australian Government scheme regulating the activities of members of that profession, such as registered tax agents, Customs brokers, company auditors and liquidators, provided that their dealings with Government representatives are part of the normal day-to-day work of people in that profession.
  7. Members of professions, such as doctors, lawyers or accountants, and other service providers, who make occasional representations to Government on behalf of others in a way that is incidental to the provision to them of their professional or other services. However, if a significant or regular part of the services offered by a person employed or engaged by a professional practice or other service provider involves lobbying activities on behalf of clients of that practice or service, the practice or service provider and the person offering those services must register and identify the clients for whom they carry out lobbying activities.

The Code of Conduct does not apply to any person, company or organisation, or the employees of such company or organisation, engaging in lobbying activities on their own behalf rather than for a client. Any such person, company or organisation is not required to be recorded in the Register of Lobbyists unless that person, company or organisation or its employees also engage in lobbying activities on behalf of a client.

What is lobbying?

For the purposes of this register, lobbying activities are communications made in an effort to influence Government decision-making.

Detailed definitions of lobbying activities, lobbyist, client and Government representative are contained in clause 3 of the Lobbying Code of Conduct.

This page was last updated on 04 Jul 2022.