MFAA chief executive Phil Naylor has assured brokers the group is active in lobbying efforts on behalf of its members, even if those efforts are not always publicised.
Speaking to the National Mortgage Brokers conference in Hamilton Island, Naylor told brokers the association had been active in lobbying government over issues such as the NCCP regime and the exit fee ban.
“There are a lot of different definitions of lobbying. My definition is it’s engaging the support of those who will assist you to achieve what your objectives are without pissing off those who are against you,” Naylor said.
“Sometimes, when dealing with politicians, that’s a very fine balance. Your enemy today might be your ally tomorrow,” he added.
Naylor said the MFAA had actively lobbied government and regulators through a variety of different means, and had seen a great deal of behind-the-scenes success from its efforts.
“Lobbying is carried out in lots of different ways. It could be simply writing submissions and lodging them with a government department. It could be meeting with politicians and regulators. It could be meeting with key financial journalists and getting them to understand our point of view and getting them to speak on our behalf, or it could be really orchestrating campaigns to make a point,” he said.
Naylor used the example of the exit fee ban, and pointed to nationwide newspaper advertising the MFAA used to speak out against the ban. While the ban went through, Naylor argued that such campaigns showed the government that the industry would be publicly vocal in opposition to policy it viewed as damaging or ill-informed.