Inside Parliament House: Powerful Lobbyists Outnumber Politicians

During a recent parliamentary sitting week, Senate staffers discovered Kai Cantwell, the chief executive of Responsible Wagering Australia (RWA), conducting a video meeting on his laptop in a staff break room. Senator Pocock reported that Mr Cantwell frequently uses the restricted staff spaces for Zoom calls and administrative work, despite those rooms being designated for Senate staffers to rest and eat lunch. Staffers emailed the Usher of the Black Rod, the Senate’s senior administrative officer, but Mr Cantwell had left before administrative staff arrived.

Mr Cantwell is well-known to parliamentarians, having previously worked as a senior ministerial adviser and chief of staff to then-Social Services minister Anne Ruston during the Morrison government. Independent MP Monique Ryan noted that Mr Cantwell previously helped frame laws to reduce gambling harm before shifting to represent powerful sports betting companies such as Sportsbet and bet365. Mr Cantwell declined an interview request, while RWA stated in a release that it complies with all applicable laws, disclosure requirements, and parliamentary protocols, rejecting any suggestion of improper conduct.

Regulations Governing Inside Access and the Revolving Door

Ordinary Australians cannot easily track the full scale of lobbying in Canberra because Mr Cantwell’s name does not appear on the public lobbyists register. Under Commonwealth rules, federal regulations apply only to third-party professional lobbyists engaged by external clients, while exempting industry associations like Responsible Wagering Australia and hundreds of in-house corporate lobbyists. Consequently, RWA and its representatives are not subject to the Commonwealth Lobbying Code of Conduct or its associated sanctions. Lobbyists inside Parliament House are identified by their orange passes, which grant access to restricted corridors leading to the offices of MPs and senators. Ms Ryan stated that politicians are heavily outnumbered by these credentialed advocates.

Influence Across Parliament and Sports Sponsorships

Mr Cantwell is frequently spotted at Aussies, an internal café where politicians, journalists, and lobbyists gather. Alliance for Gambling Reform chief advocate Tim Costello stated that the RWA boss effectively lives at the café, making his lobbying efforts highly effective. Last year, Senator Pocock discovered that the Australian Parliament Sports Club, which organizes sports hit-outs on the field outside Parliament House, accepted funding from industry groups, including the gambling lobby, to pay for event access. Labor MP and Parliamentary Friends of Gambling Harm Minimisation co-chair Mike Freelander argued that powerful lobby groups donate to secure policy benefits, asserting that money always wins.