Code of Conduct

Government Affairs Group

The Government Affairs Group has adopted the Code of Conduct set out below upon the basis that:

• Government Affairs is an integral part of the public policy process in a democratic society;
• all those involved in the public policy process must maintain the highest ethical standards if public faith in that process is not to be undermined; and
• setting clear and unambiguous principles is the most effective way of ensuring that those standards are maintained.

Members of the Government Affairs Group (‘Members’) are expected to comply with the Code in their dealings with all public officials, a term which is used in the Code to include the elected or appointed members of any government, legislature, assembly, authority, executive or other public body and the advisers, officers and staff of such members or entities.

Code of Conduct for Members

Integrity and Honesty
Members must act with integrity and honesty in their dealings with public officials and must provide public officials with information which is accurate, must not deliberately mislead them and must take appropriate action to avoid doing so inadvertently.

Transparency
Members must be open about their activities and, in making representations to a public official, must disclose their identity, that of any person or organisation they represent and the purpose of those representations.

Confidentiality
Members must not make improper use of information which they receive in confidence and, except in order to meet the obligation to act in a transparent manner or as required by law, must not disclose confidential information without the informed consent of the person who provided that information.

Undue Influence
Members must not offer any financial or other inducement to a public official nor seek to impose any obligation or exert any improper influence on a public official which may influence or hinder the performance of the public official’s duties.

Conflicts of Interest
Members must not represent persons or organisations whose interests may conflict or compete without the informed consent of all the persons or organisations concerned.