Why Lobbyists Flourished under the McGinty's Labor

Is the CCC Dealing with the Symptoms of Dysfunctional Government?

The Desert Rat thinks that if the government and its ministers were available and prepared to listen, lobbyists would be unnecessary. The Crime and Corruption Commission, investigating the lobbying activities of Messrs Burke and Grill, is dealing with the symptoms of dysfunctional government.

We got along quite well without lobbyists for most of our political history. However the strong view coming through from WA industry is that the recent State Labor Government Ministers do not want to know them.

In WA in the 1980's most lobbyists were industry and public interest groups. Farmers, miners, unions, conservationists, the hotel industry, local government, school and church groups were prominent. Doctors lobbied mainly on health issues, etc. There were no private lobbyists.

During the Court Government years former Opposition Leader Barry McKinnon offered a lobbying service which I think was based mainly on introductions to Ministers and helping clients navigate through the labyrinthine public service.

Lobbying actually burgeoned under the Gallop (McGinty) Government. The reason why, was because business could not get decisions out of the Gallop-McGinty and Carpenter-McGinty Cabinets or Ministers. Geoff Gallop stated very clearly when he became Premier that his would be a process driven government. That was the genesis of the problem.

An insipid, risk-averse style of leadership has remained through the Carpenter Gvernment. That meant decision making would be largely run by the public service with interminable committees and inquiries. Ministers would take a back seat or vetting role. Business no longer had effective access to ministers. This approach partly stemmed from the Gallop-McGinty antipathy to business. This aversion led to business turning to lobbyists and this led to the flourishing of lobbying in WA in recent years.

The Gallop - McGinty's sentiments may have theoretical attraction, but don't expect public servants to make decisions if they think or know their Ministers and the Premier will desert them or leave them stranded at the first sign of political trouble or turmoil. Gallop's attitude to business was evidenced by his refusal to make time to meet with Paul Anderson the then new CEO of BHP, when he visited Perth at a time when BHP was considering closing the massive HBI plant at Port Hedland.

Business complained that even where they finally saw Geoff Gallop no-one ever got a decision. His Ministers were rarely proactive or took the initiative. The result was frustration particularly in the business community. Tony Howarth and Miles Kennedy, two respected WA businessmen both said in television interviews, that the Gallop and Carpenter Government were the least accessible government they had ever experienced and that was why business resorted to lobbyists. It is in that atmosphere, that many groups frustrated by a public service that had no political leadership, turned to lobbyists to push their case and interests.

Grill and Burke were the Government’s problem solvers - and came up with win - win solutions. That was the key to their success. When a government leaves a vacuum in terms of decision making, society needs 'movers and shakers' people like Burke and Grill in order to ensure that progress can occur. The more people involved in making a decision the less chance you have of someone taking responsibility and making the decision.

The developing problem of the Carpenter-McGinty Government is they are more concerned with hiding problems than fixing them. - that concerns the Desert Rat.