It’s now almost 16 months since the Queensland State election saw the government change from Labor to the Liberal National Party. The result made it clear that Labor’s path back to government must include regional Queensland. The Crisafulli Government holds 53 seats, Labor holds 35, Katter’s Australia Party holds two, the Greens holds one and […]

Many of you will know Stephen Stills’ 1970 hit ‘Love the One You’re With’. The song – covered by great artists like David Crosby and Aretha Franklin – is memorable for its great refrain “And if you can’t be with the one you love, honey / Love the one you’re with”. These lyrics should serve as […]

Thirty years ago, the Coalition romped into power, winning a record 94 seats from the Keating ALP Government, including my old seat of Richmond in northern New South Wales.  I joined this Parliamentary Class of ‘96 along with Anthony Albanese and Pauline Hanson. History shows mixed fortunes: In 1998, Pauline failed to win the seat […]

Clients and friends, I’m pleased to share some exciting news about a new addition to the SAS Group’s network, which further strengthens our advisory capability and expands the services we can offer. We have joined forces with Sabio, a highly regarded strategic communications and stakeholder engagement consultancy with a strong track record advising organisations across government, […]

Right now, politics feels noisy, but when you step back from the clamour and look at Queensland’s polling, a calmer and far more revealing picture comes into focus. It is a picture that fits squarely within the spirit of Queensland’s motto: Audax at Fidelis or ‘Bold but Faithful’. The latest polling shows the LNP leading Labor 56 per cent […]

Everything over the next ten weeks will build towards the Budget on 12 May. Structural spending pressures like the NDIS, defence, aged care and health are all growing faster than revenue. And the external environment is compounding the challenge: rising energy costs tied to conflict in the Middle East, US tariffs (still in flux), and […]

No country does a political scandal like the UK. The latest, involving former Ambassador to the US Peter Mandelson, surely ranks as one of the worst. For those unaware, Mandelson was forced to resign as the UK’s chief diplomat in Washington over the fact that he had maintained a relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey […]

Queensland’s Gold Coast has always been home to great beaches, plenty of sunshine and good times for locals, along with many visitors from interstate and abroad. So much so that it’s easy to overlook this sunny economic power-house for everything else it offers. The Gold Coast is one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, which is […]

It’s fitting that we are on the verge of the Winter Olympics as I write this column. Why? Because we might be witnessing the political equivalent of ‘Doing a Bradbury’ – the great sporting moment that became a classic Aussie expression. Just as quintessential Queensland battler Steven Bradbury won a Gold Medal as the ‘Last […]