Media Release: Ethical Lobbying Better Than Backroom Deals, Expert Says
What Most Organisations Get Wrong When Lobbying Government
The lobbying playing field is being levelled for Australian NGOs, community organisations and small-to-medium businesses, according to public policy and government relations expert Mike Smith.
Mr Smith said organisations can lawfully and ethically shape government decisions using strategy, coalition building and disciplined communication, rather than money or insider connections.
Drawing on decades of experience inside and alongside government, in the first book of its kind in Australia, Mastering The Dark Art of Lobbying, Mr Smith explains how multiple public sector hierarchies actually shape outcomes, and why poor policy decisions often persist simply because governments have not been told about real-world consequences in a way they can act on.
“Lobbying shouldn’t be a dark art reserved for big business. It’s a quality control mechanism that allows ordinary people to correct bad policy and expose information government has missed. It’s more than raising awareness. You are ultimately persuading decision makers to adopt a course of action,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith defines lobbying as both an art and a science. The art is empathy and storytelling. The science is targeting the right people, understanding timing and navigating government processes so decisions can be made.
According to Mr Smith, his newly launched book explains Australian lobbying laws in plain English, including the distinction between consultant lobbyists and in-house advocates, registration and reporting obligations, and why clean, robust proposals matter in an era of integrity commissions and public scrutiny.
Mr Smith rejects the stereotype of lobbyists operating in smoke-filled rooms, distinguishing professional practice from high-profile scandals and stressing that any decision granted by government must withstand future examination.
“Effective lobbying requires a clear pathway from idea to decision. That includes deciding whether you even need a lobbyist, writing down exactly what you want from government, building a strategy rather than ‘just doing something’, identifying the real decision maker and all key influencers, understanding the policy cycle, and knowing how to secure meetings, make effective asks and follow up without damaging credibility.”
According to Mr Smith, an avoidable mistake is organisations wasting time with the wrong tier of government or the wrong minister, not realising that many critical decisions are driven by mid-level public servants who draft briefs long before they reach a Minister.
“Government decision making takes time, which is why demands for immediate decisions often irritate and kill projects. Election cycles, budgets, caretaker periods, estimates hearings and even ministerial travel all affect outcomes.”
“In a period of public distrust and integrity reform, effective lobbying and ethical lobbying are the same thing. If your proposal cannot survive full transparency, it is not just wrong, it is strategically weak.”
These insights are explored in Mr Smith’s new book, Mastering The Dark Art of Lobbying, which provides practical tools, checklists and real-world case studies for organisations seeking to influence government ethically and effectively.