Planning Minister Lizzie Blandthorn (second left) with Premier Daniel Andrews this week.Credit:The Age
Hawker Britton clients listed on the Victorian lobbyist register include developers Dennis Family Corporation,Intrapac and Caydon,construction giant John Holland in its role building the West Gate Tunnel,builder Winslow Group,Melbourne Airport,McDonald’s and the Shopping Centre Council.
Integrity experts say the Blandthorn appointment highlights major weaknesses in Victoria’s outdated rules on lobbying and the revolving door of political insiders who move between working in government and working for businesses seeking favourable decisions from government.
Former Court of Appeal judge and board member of Centre for Public Integrity Stephen Charles said the planning minister “should have nothing to do with any matter in which Hawker Britton is involved lobbying”.
“She would have too close a connection to give proper consideration to any matter involving her brother’s firm,” said Charles. “There is a perfectly clear conflict of interest.”
Lobbyist John-Paul Blandthorn is the brother of new Planning Minister Lizzie Blandthorn.
Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said the revelation of a close personal relationship between the incoming planning minister and a lobbying firm representing some of the biggest developers in town “warrants urgent reforms to the checks and balances needed to manage conflicts of interest and maintain integrity in the system”.
She pointed to strict laws that apply to local councillors requiring them to recuse themselves in matters where potential conflicts arose.