The New Zealand government will take away the swipe card access of lobbyists to Wellington's Beehive building and parliament while it reviews the sector.
On Monday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced short-term changes to lobbying practices as highlighted in a recent Radio NZ series.
Until then, it was little known that many lobbyists were issued with their own security cards, allowing them to access the parliamentary precinct, including ministerial wings and MPs offices and the parliamentary cafe and bar.
Mr Hipkins has written to the speaker to ask that around 80 swipe card holders - including lobbyists, business advocates and unionists - have their privileges revoked.
"My view is they should go through the front door like every other New Zealander," Mr Hipkins said.
NZ does not have a lobbyist register or a stand-down period for ministers transitioning to become lobbyists, like many other developed countries do.
Justice Minister Kris Faafoi established his own consultancy firm within weeks of leaving his cabinet post last year, raising transparency concerns.
Mr Hipkins said those issues would form part of the review.
The Labour government is still reeling from a transparency scandal, when the prime minister sacked cabinet minister Stuart Nash for revealing cabinet discussions with donors.
Mr Hipkins announced a review of all of Mr Nash's communications with donors from when he took office in 2017 to see whether there were other breaches.
The prime minister was forced to defend his government's culture when it was revealed staffers from Mr Nash's office and Jacinda Ardern's office did not disclose the indiscretion.
The cabinet leak was laid out in an email and requested by a journalist under an Official Information Act request which obliged the staff to disclose it.
After a weekend of reflection following his sacking, Mr Nash announced he would not seek another term as Napier MP at the October election, when he will leave politics.
