Access denied: lobbyists lose parliament swipe cards

Chris Hipkins has a lobbying overhaul plan. (Image: Getty)

Mon, 03 Apr 2023

The government has announced restrictions on lobbyists’ access to parliament as a first step towards regulating the practice.In the wake of the Stuart Nash affair, prime minister Chris Hipkins announced a four-step plan to overhaul lobbying that he said would increase transparency.The first step would be asking the speaker of the house to remove swipe-card access to parliament for business, non-government sector and union representatives. “My view is they should go through the front door like every other New Zealander,” H...

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