There's been an exodus from the conservative side of politics lately, as the federal election edges closer.

It's a time-honoured tradition when the polls indicate one side of the political divide is about to cop a big loss.

But where do politicians go once they quit the most powerful jobs in Australia?

As many as a quarter of former ministers become lobbyists, according to research by the Grattan Institute, which has also found one in four lobbyists has worked as a political staffer.

The rules that regulate how lobbying works are lax to say the least, so why does no-one seem to care?

Today on The Signal, we examine the porous wall between politics and lobbying, and ask an actual lobbyist what goes on behind closed doors.

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Danielle Wood, Program Director, Budget Policy and Institutional Reform, The Grattan Institute

Grahame Morris, Chairman and Federal Director, Barton Deakin Government Relations