Four Corners previews Access All Areas, with reporter Mark Willacy investigating the influence, access and money behind Australia’s political lobbying industry.
The episode, airing Monday 24 August on ABC and ABC iview, looks at lobbyists who are unelected, highly paid and working on behalf of powerful interests. Their numbers have grown, and critics argue their access to government has become harder for the public to scrutinise.
The investigation arrives as trust in political institutions remains under pressure. By following how lobbyists operate around government, Four Corners is focusing on a system that affects policy decisions long before most voters see the outcome.
What The Episode Covers
In Access All Areas, Mark Willacy examines where lobbyists go, who they meet and what they want. The episode features four major figures in the industry: Simon Banks from Hawker Britton, Christopher Pyne from Pyne & Partners, Eamonn Fitzpatrick from Fitzpatrick & Co Advisory and Matthew Harris from Barton Deakin.
The program looks at arguments from lobbyists who say their work makes governing more effective, while also hearing from advocates and politicians calling for stronger oversight and regulation.
Set against the Albanese government’s attempts to pass gambling reforms, the episode examines transparency, pay-for-access schemes and the revolving door between politics and private enterprise.
Watch The Promo
When To Watch
Four Corners: Access All Areas airs Monday 24 August 2026 at 8.30pm on ABC. The episode is also available to stream on ABC iview.
For more ABC coverage, visit TV Central’s ABC section.
Stream Four Corners on ABC iview.
