SYDNEY, 20 March 2024 - Edelman Australia has announced two new additions to its leadership team, welcoming Fiona Parker as the newly appointed Head of Corporate and Melissa Young as the new Head of People.

Fiona joins Edelman from boutique Australian finance agency, Honner, where she held the position as Chief Strategy Office and led the firms corporate, tech/fintech, and digital assets business. Fiona brings over 20 years or corporate communications experience spanning Australia, Europe, and Asia.

Previously Head of Corporate Communications in Australia for FleishmanHillard and Asia Pacific Technology Practice Director for the former H+K Strategies, Fiona's corporate, B2B, and B2C experience includes blue chip global, regional, and local companies. Fiona also spent several years as an in house Marketing Manager in the telecommunications industry. She brings extensive crisis, issues and reputation management experience, and is an accomplished media, communication skills and crisis preparedness trainer.

Speaking on her appointment, Fiona said, "I'm delighted to join Edelman Australia and be part of its marketing lead team delivering strategic guidance to an impressive client roster at a time of unprecedented reputational complexity in Australia".

“as leaders, they both encapsulate our beliefs and values, centred around our people, while understanding the power of culture and capability at edelman in delivering impactful work for our clients."
- Tom Robinson, ceo edelman australia

Melissa joins from a marketing agency, Cheil Australia, where she served as Head of People and Culture. She is based out of the Sydney office and reports into the APAC People Team Lead, Lin Yanhong, who recently joined as the new Chief People Officer for APAC in Singapore.

A seasoned HR leader with over 15 years experience and strong focus on business partnering, learning and development, strategy, and employee relations, Melissa brings a broad scope of knowledge from industries including advertising, entertainment, education and media.

"I'm excited to join the Edelman team during such a pivotal moment of growth and innovation. Having had the privilege of leading people and culture initiatives the past fifteen years, I'm eager to bring my expertise forward to make a meaningful impact on both our clients and employees," Melissa said.

Tom Robinson, CEO of Australia, added, "We're thrilled to welcome Fiona and Melissa as we continue the expansion of our leadership team. As leaders, they both encapsulate our beliefs and values, centred around our people, while understanding the power of culture and capability at Edelman in delivering impactful work for our clients"

Fiona Parker, Head of Corporate and Melissa Young, Head of People & Culture

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This article was originally published on Little Black Book.

Tom Robinson, CEO of Edelman Australia, is a communicator by nature. He spent a decade working with MediaCom Australia, where he oversaw the brand marketing, commerce, content and integrated communication strategies for the local and global markets.

During his time at MediaCom Australia, he worked with some of Australia's biggest brands including, Mars, P&G, Westpac, and the NSW, VIC and QLD governments. Tom is a firm believer in the power of communications in all aspects of the industry and in his current role as CEO of Edelman Australia, he champions this belief in his day-to-day.

“Regardless of our personalities or careers, creativity allows for the democratisation of ideas that can be applied in all walks of life"

What originally lured you into the world of marketing and creativity, did you grow up in a creative household?

Originally, I was fascinated by the psychology of marketing. Why people do what they do (or say one thing and do another, as is often the case) interested me and the influence of creativity and storytelling in that process. I studied Business at University following my A-levels (UK) in psychology and business. Ultimately, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at that age, but I was always drawn to marketing as a discipline and then later advertising and communications.

The art of storytelling that draws audiences in has been ever present. My mum was a social worker and dad a lawyer...sociology was central in their day jobs, and in their spare time both were heavily involved in theatre; from plays to musicals and opera, both in the UK and Hong Kong (where I spent six years growing up). I spent a lot of time around the stage, performing and working in production as a result. My younger sister, Emily, continues the family tradition as an actress in the West End and on tours.

What does the word 'creativity' mean to you?

The art of looking at things differently and presenting a new way of thinking. Regardless of our personalities or careers, creativity allows for the democratisation of ideas that can be applied in all walks of life.

You came from a strong digitial media background, before leaning into content at Medicom with the launch of Creative Systems. Can you explain this journey, and what was the rationale behind the brand?

I found a way into the industry via search and SEO. It was in its relative infancy then but understanding what, why and how people search became a passion. That led me into the world of content marketing which, over the years, evolved to become a much broader approach to brand marketing in a digital age. As the market matured, creativity became increasingly central to the success of brands online in ways that hadn’t been considered before.

Applying creativity and storytelling in a previously performance centric environment led the forerunner to Creative Systems (MediaCom Beyond Advertising) being named Content Marketing Agency of the Year in 2014.

Despite its success in the Australian market, it became increasingly apparent that creativity (or the message) and media had never been so disconnected and the lack of relevance in the message was inhibiting growth for brands… quality had been replaced by quantity.

Media was innovating exponentially, yet our approach to communications both through creativity and content remained the same. This led to the birth of Creative Systems, which supported clients in bridging the divide between the two – using audience-led insights from partnerships across publishers, platforms and talent, to tell stories in a more culturally relevant way. It was a big success in Australia, where we initially tested the concept before rolling it out across all MediaCom markets.

To many it was an interesting move to transition to what may have been seen as a traditional 'PR' agency. What made you move, and how is the reality living up to your expectations?

I've spent most of my early career in the owned and earned space. I'm a big believer that some of the most important brand assets organisations own are those that are the most under-invested.

Long before my time here, Edelman had been investing ahead of the curve into brand strategy, digital, creative, production, partnerships and its research capabilities. Building trust through communications, a core component of our vision, requires a whole new set of skills and experiences, and that level of investment and foresight was exciting for me.

We’re well known for our reputation and trust work on behalf of corporate organisations and teams, but bridging the communications divide between the CCO and the CMO is crucial to establish trust and relevance in all facets of communications. Too often these two vital disciplines (corporate and brand) are disconnected, presenting siloed views of an organisation. We know from our own Trust Barometer research that what you say and what you do have to be connected, otherwise consumer trust in brands declines.

Organisations are under the microscope like never before, and the level of transparency and diligence required to manage that consistently requires a range of skills. To have the breadth of talent we have within the agency, and to be able to work alongside our teams with that shared ambition on behalf of our clients, has been a privilege.

Your current role at Edelman sees you sit at the heart of an earned, owned and paid media ecosystem. How does that work in practice and what do you think you personally bring to the mix?

The biggest difference in the shift from a media agency to an integrated communications firm has been the single-minded focus on creativity and fostering actions that earn trust. It’s not enough to produce a 30- or 60-second spot, or expect to continuously invest millions in distribution, reproducing lo-fi content. Stories need to sustain an entire ecosystem and be matched by action within an organisation as proof points. Our work for HP in producing Street Code is a great example of this, whereby it has a meaningful impact on society and business. We’re incredibly proud of the impact that’s had for HP, which is only possible with complete buy-in across the board to act first and talk later. Our ability to influence this amongst the C-suite of our clients is a big differentiator.

Having not come through the ranks of a PR agency in the traditional sense, I maintain an agnostic perspective. Earned storytelling sits at our core, but the tools, partnerships and expertise we use to tell those stories is changing. To breakthrough, we need to draw on a whole new range of skills, as mentioned earlier. By nature, I lean into positive provocation, with our clients and people, and maintain a healthy scepticism (that might be down to being a northern Englishman) about how stories and creativity impact audiences across the ecosystem.

Do you find that strategy often gets a little bit left behind during a creative process, or have you found that to be the opposite?

Quite the opposite and we’ve been very intentional with that at Edelman – you have to be. Over the last 18 months, we’ve introduced new processes and collaborative tools to ensure our strategic thinkers are present at the inception of the brief – as far upstream as they can go! This is integral to the output of our work but the role of “the strategist” has evolved. Input is required from across the business to feed that thinking; incorporating Edelman’s Data and Intelligence team (DxI), search and social insights from channel specialists, media relations expertise to help understand stories of interest, as well as our United Entertainment Group (UEG) team who are at the forefront of understanding culture and building cultural partnerships.

What's your perspective on the positive tension between performance and creativity in the wider media landscape?

This is a Pandora’s box question with so many permutations! I see a lot of opinions that create positive but also unnecessary tension between the two – as if they’re somehow two opposing forces. It’s been encouraging to see a shift more recently in understanding the complimentary nature of both creative brand and performance work, as well as the role of creativity in driving better performance driven outcomes.

Creativity has never been so important to performance. The reliance on 3rd party platforms to distribute product or services has led to a dilution and loss of brand in homogenous retail environments, as well as our proximity to customer understanding. As brand custodians, we’ve been handing the keys over, so to speak. When you lose control of the brand experience, creativity and brand storytelling becomes even more crucial.

Those brands that win will find greater balance and complimentary ways to leverage creativity into full funnel activity. The role of earned storytelling and creative partnerships through talent, media or adjacent brand properties takes on greater meaning.

You talk about being passionate about closing the gap between media and message in a fragmented media landscape. Do you think traditional PR as we know it is dead?

Far from it. As in all markets, I think we’ll see a correction over the coming months/years. The fragmentation is already leading to consolidation in some areas of the media, and I think we’ll see this continue.

The greater concern is cultural fragmentation as algorithms dictate what we consume and further shape individual interests and discourse. Newsrooms are under pressure but peer to peer relationships will remain a critical component of what we do. It is in everyone’s interests to ensure newsrooms sustain and we maintain a healthy media ecosystem underpinned by quality journalism.

Automation and the application of AI is central in our thinking, but the stories we tell will always be rooted in human connection, understanding and experiences. That is the art of what we do; whether it is viewed as traditional or not.

The disconnect between media and message came about because we relied too heavily on technology. Irrelevance was a costly endeavour as it became very easy to distribute a message, and the battle for attention grew. It was always a race to the bottom but we’re seeing the industry push back, and some of the best campaigns over the last 12 months have been rooted in strong storytelling with a human-based narrative.

How do you use "the power of communications" for good as a leader?

When I talk about the power of communications, I refer to the fact we’re in a privileged position. The work we do in our industry can shape culture, community, and conversation around key topics. We can often lose sight of how fortunate we are to work in this industry, and I try to reinforce that as a leader. There will always be challenges to overcome, and more we can do to contribute to better outcomes, but as an industry we offer incredible learning experiences and opportunities to not just talk but elicit action and positive change.

An example of this are our own partnerships in-market to ensure representative voices and diverse lived experiences contribute to the outcome of our work, most notably our partnership with Campire X on behalf of LinkedIn.

What has been the best piece of leadership advice given to you?

That my role is to work in service of my team and create the conditions necessary for people to thrive.

I remind myself of this regularly and it reframes my approach daily. It’s especially critical in our industry where those conditions need to allow for creativity to shine and autonomy for people to learn and grow inside and outside the organisation.

Finally, what's next for Tom and Edelman?

In many ways I feel like we're still just getting started. 2023 was a year of change and we've brought in some fantastic new leaders into the business in the last six months.

We want to solve our clients' toughest brand and corporate challenges by initiating actions and prompting trusted dialogue. Key to this is action driven communications that navigate the communications divide across brand and corporate. Embedding creativity and innovation in a consistent manner to present a unified voice across the organisation is our driving force this year.

While rapid innovation offers the promise of a new era of prosperity, it risks exacerbating trust issues, leading to societal instability. As business leaders find themselves at the forefront of this paradox, grappling with a myriad of growing threats and compounded effects challenge traditional approaches to crisis and issues management.

At Mumbrella CommsCon 2024, this critical juncture in navigating trust will be addressed by Peter Pippen, Head of Strategy, in the session ‘Managing Trust in the Age of the Polycrisis’. Pippen will equip communication and business leaders with valuable strategies to confront these societal challenges directly.

This follows the launch of the 2024 Edelman Trust Barometer, which sheds light on the global landscape and highlights the crux in society’s relationship with innovation. Despite the benefits of innovations such as the Covid-19 vaccines, there is a backlash against vaccine mandates. Similarly, while the Biden administration passed significant legislation designed to incentivise the development of green infrastructure, the Republican presidential frontrunner is campaigning against the EV transition.

In 2024, as millions engaged with Chat GPT, society grappled with strikes over AI’s integration and its pervasive influence across industries. Concurrently, global events like COP28 in Dubai, which secured agreements to transition away from fossil fuels, stands juxtaposed against domestic protests, such as the Dutch farmers’ party’s election win in opposition to green mandates.

Amidst this backdrop of geopolitical conflict, cyber risks, and climate change, Australian business leaders are confronted with their own set of challenges. As they strive to embrace innovation to secure the future prosperity of the economy, the imperative to navigate these complexities while upholding trust within organisations becomes paramount. Managing the delicate balance between progress and trust requires careful implementation.

Secure your spot at Mumbrella CommsCon 2024, with Earlybird tickets available now, taking place on March 27th at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. Attendees can anticipate gaining insights that empower them and their companies to navigate threats while upholding trust with customers, employees, and stakeholders.

Stay tuned for the upcoming launch of the Australian Trust Barometer, which provides deeper insights into the evolving trust landscape in Australia.

Peter Pippen, Head of Strategy, Edelman Australia

A Commonwealth with a common purpose – Chalmers’ carefully calibrated budget

Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, was all smiles as he delivered a dramatic turnaround in the financial fortunes of the nation with the first Federal Government budget surplus in 15 years, and Labor’s first in 35 years.

This budget, which was delivered last night, is a politically significant achievement for the Treasurer and the Albanese Government, bolstering the ALP’s economic management credentials. While focusing on the economics, Dr Chalmers has delivered a Budget in the Labor tradition, focused on helping those Australians hard hit by current pressures. The Budget took a conservative approach to unexpectedly higher revenues, banking 82 per cent of the windfall to reduce debt and minimise its inflationary impact.

With many Budget measures pre-announced, the big surprise was $3.5 billion for Medicare, tripling bulk billing incentives to address the sharp decline in bulk billing over the past few years. This is the largest increase to the bulk billing incentive in the 40-year history of Medicare, and it is expected to benefit more than 11 million Australians.

This hallmark initiative rounded out a series of other socially compassionate budget announcements including a significant cost-of-living package, wage increases for aged workers and nurses, and boosts to JobSeeker and youth payments.

Business did not score as well as Australians in need, with a limited focus on new tax concessions for business with Australia’s gas sector and multinationals having to pay higher taxes to balance out the spending. There was however significant investment in a new national skills agreement targeting areas of critical need.

While this year has been a pleasant surprise for individual Australians, the Budget points to weak economic growth, an increase in unemployment, and a return to a budget deficit in 2024/25.

Big ticket items

Health	$5.7 billion over 5 years to make Medicare cheaper $3.5 billion over 5 years to increase bulk billing consultations and make it easier for patients to see a doctor. The Government will also support more than 300 Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme medicines to be dispensed in greater amounts, phased in from 1 September 2023. $824.4 million to modernise the digital health data systems, including My Health Record. $91.1 million to commence establishing the Australian Centre for Disease Control.
Cost of living	$3 billion in partnership with state and territory governments to deliver electricity bill relief for eligible households and small businesses. Implementing a temporary price cap on wholesale gas contracts, working with states to cap the price of coal used for domestic electricity generation and introducing a mandatory code for gas sales. Increasing JobSeeker by $40 a fortnight, and $92 a fortnight for those aged 55+ $1.9 billion package to expand the eligibility for the Parenting Payment for single parents, meaning they will receive JobSeeker payments until their youngest child is 14 years old. Increasing the maximum rates of Commonwealth Rent Assistance by 15 per cent at a cost of $2.7 billion over 5 years.
Immigration	Increasing the allocation of skilled migrants in our annual migration program to around 70 per cent of places in the 2023-24 permanent Migration program, while introducing further compliance initiatives to boost the number of skilled migrants coming into Australia and providing additional skills and training requirements.
Cleaner, greener energy	Supercharging its investment into renewable energy through the Capacity Investment Scheme, which will unlock over $10 billion in investments into the national electricity grid. A further $10 billion is earmarked for a Hydrogen Headstart Program to help increase green capabilities in Wollongong, Gladstone and Whyalla, to make and export renewable energy to green steel.

Initial reactions

Energy sector: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association CEO Samantha McCulloch said the government's new future gas strategy would help secure new gas supplies to avoid shortfalls, keep the lights on, put downward pressure on prices, and deliver substantial economic benefits.

Health sector: The Royal Australian College of GPs called the budget a "game changer" for GPs, practices, and patients. Dr. Nicole Higgins welcomed the hike in Medicare rebates, including the tripling of the bulk billing incentive. Additionally, the new Medicare item, Level E, will help patients with complex needs, such as those with chronic conditions and mental health issues, to access better care.

Tech sector: The Tech Council of Australia welcomed new investments to improve the skilled migration system, support the next generation of Australia's tech industry, and strengthen Australia’s cyber security preparedness and resilience. "This Budget will help take our tech smarts and turn them into high-paid jobs and globally successful businesses," CEO Kate Pounder said.

Financial sector: Financial Services Council CEO Blake Briggs congratulated the Government on its fiscal discipline delivering a significant improvement in the 2022-23 budget position, putting Australia in a strong position going into a more challenging economic environment.

Opposition: Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor told the ABC “a drover’s dog could have delivered this surplus”, pointing to the higher-than-expected revenues, and warned the real test for Labor lay in future budgets.

Crossbench: Greens Leader Adam Bandt criticised Labor for prioritising a surplus over supporting people in poverty. He expressed disappointment that the budget continued to support tax cuts, nuclear submarines, and "handouts for wealthy property investors and fossil fuel corporations."

Teal MP Allegra Spender backed the Budget's power bill help, single parenting help and household electrification package. However, she expressed disappointment about Labor's reforms to PRRT and continued growth in fossil fuel subsidies.

Winners and losers

The government's second budget in less than a year has been announced, revealing winners and losers and highlighting the need for prioritising vulnerable Australians to balance the books. The budget is expected to bring a small surplus of around $4bn this year, ending a 15-year-long deficit. However, deficits are predicted for the next four years with many Australians facing financial struggles.

Winners	Losers
Low and middle income earners:$14.6 billion to increase payments for JobSeeker, Austudy, and Youth Allowance. Energy relief up to $500 for 5 million households is also included.	Gas companies:LNG producers will pay an additional $2.4 billion in taxes due to changes in the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax. Tax deductions will be limited, and stricter measures will be implemented.
Superannuation:From July 2026, employers will pay super at payday rather than quarterly, improving retirement incomes for young workers.	Pharmacists:Pharmacies will incur an additional cost of around $170,000 per year as patients can now buy 60 days' worth of common medicines for chronic conditions instead of 30 days.
Medicare and health:A $3.5 billion, five-year package will encourage doctors to bulk-bill. Money will also be used for modernising My Health Record, lung cancer screening, and cheaper common medicines.	Smokers and vapers:Smokers will have a 5 per cent annual tax increase for three years, while vapers will have limited flavor choices, generating $3.3 billion extra revenue with the government also allocating $63 million towards prevention and imposing new regulations on vape purchases.
Small business:A tax discount of up to $20,000 will be offered to small businesses with an annual turnover under $50 million to incentivise more energy-efficient practices, expecting to benefit up to 3.8 million businesses.	Immigrants:Visa fees for temporary and permanent residency will go up by 6 per cent, generating $660 million to reduce immigration backlogs, with short-stay visa applicants facing a 21 per cent fee increase, while migration is predicted to return to normal levels in 2 years.
Defence:Australia's defence spending overall is increasing with an additional $11+ billion over the next four years for naval programs and improving our cyber and sovereign capabilities.	Truckers:The government plans to increase the heavy vehicle road user charge to 32.4 cents per liter of diesel by 2025-26 saving $1.1 billion over four years which will go towards road maintenance and repairs.
Indigenous Australians:$1.9 billion will be spent over five years to enhance Indigenous people's lives and economic prospects, and $360 million will be allocated for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum.	Scammers:The government will spend $86.5 million over four years to fight scams and online fraud, including $58 million for a National Anti-Scam Centre and $17.6 million to dismantle phishing websites.
Pacific region:A $1.4 billion boost will improve law enforcement and security infrastructure in the Pacific region, with $370 million to expand the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.	Multinationals:The government’s implementation of pillar two of the OECD/G20 multilateral agreement on global tax is part of a worldwide shake-up of company tax involving more than 135 countries. The “Pillar Two” taxation reforms will bring in $370 million over the five years from 1 January 2024.

Where is the money coming from?

The Government’s new revenue raising measures include:

Regaining $3.3 billion over the forward estimates by increasing the tax on tobacco products from 1 September, to increase duties per kilogram on imported tobacco products.
Recouping around $2.4 billion through changes to the Petroleum Resources Rent Tax charging gas providers benefiting from the export market.
Creating efficiencies of $1.3 billion over four years by allowing PBS medicines to be dispensed from pharmacies from 1 September 2023.

The bulk of the heavy lifting to return a healthy economic outlook has simply reflected higher commodity prices in iron ore, gas and coal prices than previously assumed, which have steadily reduced Government’s deficit since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The projections also factor in changes to Australia’s global trading outlook, including our regional and strategic partnerships, following the thaw in trading relations with China and projecting a boost to Australian businesses increasing trade with India and Great Britain.

The Government is now expecting to gain $138.4 billion in revenue from company tax, where the October projections placed that figure conservatively at $99.8 billion.

The Government will also seek to reduce its spending through cuts to agencies, to help fund the growth of other task forces identified during its election commitments, including $65 million cut in the next financial year for the refugee, humanitarian settlement and migrant services; and more than $125 million from this year’s $611 million offshore management budget.

Where to from here?

This year’s surplus has been delivered by surging revenues and strong commodity prices that have been helped by the war in the Ukraine and inflation.  All these factors have helped to deliver a remarkable financial outcome.

$17.8 billion in savings have been recorded along with redirected spending. The Treasurer and Finance Minister have shown enormous financial and political discipline in delivering savings. Despite all these positives, Treasury’s projections also indicate that darker days are on the horizon.

Next year it is expected that Australia will return to deficit to the tune of $13.9 billion. Economic growth has been slashed to 1.5 percent next year, narrowly avoiding a recession. Inflation is projected to fall to an ambitious 3.25 percent by mid next year.

But what does this all mean?

Treasury’s projections are signaling that the economy will get tougher for businesses and individuals. Unemployment will increase. Small and medium enterprises are already finding it tough due to interest rate increases, dampening demand and consumer spending continuing to be impacted.

But this Budget also signals potentially tougher political times ahead for the Albanese Government. Big political and economic decisions will have to be made about the need to increase taxes to fund spending on Defence and NDIS, with both continuing to be a major drain on future budgets.

And we should not forget the Stage Three Tax Cuts which remain on the table and will have a substantial impact on the government’s bottom-line.

This Federal Budget update has been prepared by Edelman Global Advisory (EGA) Australia and Edelman Australia. For information on EGA’s advisory and government communications services, please contact Peter Fraser at Peter.Fraser@Edelman.com.

Image Source: Aditya Joshi on Unsplash

NSW Election: The Trusted Minority

4 April 2023

By Saturday 1 April, one week on from the NSW state election, it was confirmed that Labor would not win the 47 seats it needs to form a majority government. Following the count of thousands of postal ballots, Labor had won 45 seats, the Coalition 35 (24 Liberal and 11 National), the Greens had retained its three seats and nine electorates had voted for independent candidates. Counting continues in the northern Sydney seat of Ryde, which the Liberals are currently expected to retain. Meanwhile Premier Minns has also announced his first full Ministry, which will see a reduced Cabinet of 22 Ministers – 50 per cent of which will be women. In a historic first for NSW, women will hold the prominent positions Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, and will serve as Ministers for Energy (Sharpe), Police (Catley), Regional NSW (Moriarty), Finance (Houssos) and Regional Transport (Aitchison.)

NEWS SOUTH WALES CABINET LIST OF MINISTERS

Premier	Hon Christopher Minns MP
Deputy Premier Minister for Education and Early Learning Minister for Western Sydney	Hon Prudence Carr MP
Minister for Climate Change Minister for Energy; Minister for the Environment Minister for Heritage Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council	Hon Penelope Sharpe MLC
Special Minister of State Minister for Roads Minister for The Arts; Minister for Music and Night-time Economy Minister for Jobs and Tourism Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council	Hon John Graham MLC
Treasurer	Hon Daniel Mookhey MLC
Minister for Health; Minister for Regional Health Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast	Hon Ryan John Park MLC
Minister for Transport	Hon Joanna Haylen MP
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces	Hon Paul Scully MP
Minister for Industrial Relations Minister for Work Health and Safety	Sophie Cotsis MP
Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism	Hon Yasmin Catley MP
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Minister for Emergency Services Minister for Youth Justice	Hon Jihad Dib MP
Minister for Families and Communities’ Disability Inclusion	Hon Kate Washington MP
Attorney General	Hon Michael Daley MP
Minister for Agriculture, Regional NSW and Western NSW	Hon Tara Moriarty MLC
Minister for Local Government Vice President of the Executive Council Leader of the Government in the Legislative Assembly	Hon Ron Hoening MP
Minister for Finance Minister for Natural Resources	Hon Courtney Houssos MLC
Minister for Small Business Minister for Lands and Property Minister for Multiculturalism Minister for Sport	Hon Stephen Kamper MP
Minister for Water Minister for Housing; Minister for Homelessness Minister for Mental Health; Minister for Youth Minister for the North Coast	Hon Rose Jackson MLC
Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Minister for Industry and Trade Minister for Innovation, Science and Technology Minister for Corrections	Hon Chanthivong MP
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister for the Hunter	Hon Timothy Crakanthorp MP
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty Minister for Gaming and Racing Minister for Veterans Minister for Medical Research Minister for the Central Coast	Hon David Harris MP
Minister for Women Minister for Seniors Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault	Hon Jodie Harrison MP
Minister for Regional Transport and Roads	Hon Jennifer Aitchison MP

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL RESULTS

Labor have not achieved a clean sweep of the state’s upper house either. With the usual half-election of the 42-member Legislative Council, Labor have secured 8 positions; the Coalition 6; the Greens 2; and One Nation one. Four positions are yet to be finalised, however are likely to be filled by a seventh Liberal and one each for Legalise Cannabis, the Liberal Democrats and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers. The remaining LC members (not up for re-election) comprise seven Labor MLCs, seven Coalition MLCs, two Greens MLCs, and one each to Shooters, Fishers and Farmers and the Animal Justice Party.

INFLUENTIAL CROSSBENCH

With Premier Minns and his yet-to-be-finalised team requiring crossbench support to pass legislation, it is worth considering the policy priorities for the nine influential independent MPs – three of whom (Greenwich, Piper and McGirr) have already committed to supporting the Minns Government in a joint statement:

Alex Greenwich MP, Sydney (IND) – has already expressed his desire to enact gambling reforms.
Jenny Leong MP, Newtown; Tamara Smith MP, Ballina; Kobi Shetty, Balmain (GRN) - will be seeking a series of promises from Labor on cashless gaming, nurse-to-patient ratios and rental reforms to provide the Minns Government with political support.
Greg Piper MP, Lake Macquarie (IND) - may take the MP up on his offer to be the new Speaker, given he previously served as assistant and temporary speaker.
Judy Hannan, Wollondilly (TEAL-IND) – the only Climate 200 candidate to win a seat during the NSW election, she is likely to support initiatives minimising over-development.
Michael Regan, Wakehurst (IND) – a fixture in local government in Sydney’s northern beaches, is expected to look for ‘commonsense solutions’ to issues including housing affordability, better public transport and easing cost of living pressures.
Joe McGirr MP, Wagga Wagga (IND) – the doctor has advocated for closing the gap between regional and metropolitan health facilities.
Gareth Ward MP, Kiama (IND) – the former Liberal MP for Kiama was suspended from the Liberal Party last year when he was charged with historic sexual assault offences.
Roy Butler MP, Barwon; Helen Dalton MP, Murray; Phillip Donato MP, Orange (IND) – all breakaways from Shooters, Fishers and Farmers last year following concerns over comments made by their party leader in parliament. Their focus is likely to be on improving circumstances for regional NSW.

Triumphant ALP sweeps to power across Australia's mainland

27 March 2023

CURRENT STATE OF PLAY

ALP	47
LNP	27
GRN	3
IND	7
SEATS IN DOUBT	14

Source: T he Sydney Morning Herald

NSW election

OVERVIEW

After a long 12 years in the political wilderness up to 25 March election, Australian Labor Party leader, Chris Minns will be the 47th Premier of NSW.

The ALP has swept the long-term Coalition Government from power for only the third time since WWII.

It is a stunning victory for Chris Minns, eclipsing both Bob Carr’s victory in 1995 by one seat and Neville Wran’s 1976 one seat win, ending 11 years of Coalition government.

With around 50 per cent of the vote counted by 10.30pm on Saturday night, the Australian Labor Party (ALP) are set to pass the 47-seat threshold to form a majority government.

As of the close of counting on Saturday night, Labor has reclaimed many of the seats lost in Western Sydney in 2010, 2011 and 2015 (Camden, East Hills, Parramatta, Riverstone, Holsworthy and Penrith).

Current results for the Upper House are indicative only, suggesting a favourable Legislative Council will be in place. As of first preference counting, Labor secured just over 37 per cent of the vote; the Coalition achieving just over 29 per cent, the Greens around 10 per cent and One Nation around 5.6 per cent. Upper House results are likely to be made clear during the coming week.

A NEW DAWN FOR THE ALP

Minns’ election winning campaign focused heavily on a theme of rejuvenation in the state, with the slogan ‘a fresh new start for NSW’ underpinning many of the party’s commitments to reform the state’s education system, revamp its healthcare system and improve public transportation and road and rail conditions across the state.

Premier-elect Minns has flagged there will be few major changes when he announces his Cabinet, with his Deputy Leader Prue Car expected to retain the key Education portfolio. However, the remainder of the incoming ministry is yet to be finalised and will be one of the first items on the new Premier’s agenda once counting is complete.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Premier-elect Minns has already committed to alleviating cost of living pressures on working conditions for the state’s essential workers. This will include converting 10,000 temporary teachers to permanent contracts, updating healthcare regulations to ensure one nurse is assigned to every three patients, and upskilling regional paramedics.

For business, Labor has also pledged initiatives to bring back manufacturing to NSW, including an overhaul of local procurement requirements. One of the first major transactions to be impacted will be the tenders to replace the ageing Tangara train fleet. This approach will be front and centre for future tender processes in NSW and mirrors other ALP state governments’ efforts to deliver more local jobs. For businesses, this will mean a new layer of compliance in tendering and winning government projects.

A NEW BASE FOR LABOR

Findings from the Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer revealed a collapse in economic optimism globally. Amid the rising cost-of-living, interest rates and energy prices, only 30 per cent of Australians believe they will be better off financially in 5 years. With 83 per cent of employed Australians concerned about job losses, and 69 per cent about inflation, other issues including the possibility of nuclear war, ongoing climate change crises and energy and food shortages have ranked among the most top-of-mind concerns for Australians.

Labor’s policies have outlined the party’s vision to address these crises in a way that consistently resonates with younger Australians, particularly millennials aged between their mid-20s and mid-30s. With commitments seeking to improve access to Sydney’s communities, and otherwise look to improve living conditions for all residents, Labor have gained the trust of voters across the nation – clearly reflected in its electoral success across each mainland state and territory, as well as nationally.

Labor’s new ‘working class’ effectively consists of tertiary educated women. Many of them are millennials who are looking for governments to recognise their contribution to the workforce, and for ways to help them feel as secure in their working and private lives as previous generations – from job to physical security, and through policies which support marginalised communities.

Labor’s revamped policy platform has helped modernise the party’s appeal and reframe its ideals for the incoming voting generations, while many of the Coalition’s commitments are seen to be appealing to a wealthier, older, shrinking voter base.

TEALS AND ONE NATION FAIL TO GAIN TRACTION

In the lead-up to the election campaign, figures in the media extensively canvassed the possibility of a Teal ‘wave’ in NSW, to reflect the one seen federally. Conservative pundits likewise believed the Liberals and Nationals were at significant risk of losing key lower house seats to One Nation.

The election result indicates these predictions were largely unfounded, with the only Climate-200 supported candidate likely to achieve success being Judy Hannan (in Wollondilly), and One Nation failing to pick up a seat in the lower house. One other independent candidate, Michael Regan, a local council stalwart in Wakehurst, picked up the seat previously held by retiring Health Minister Brad Hazzard.

'BUSH' SEATS NO LONGER A NATIONAL STRONGHOLD

Although the Nationals have not lost a single seat during this election, their regional footprint shrank while in government, and they failed to make inroads in seats lost at the last state election to Shooters, Fishers and Farmers in Barwon, Orange and Murray. The seats will now be held by independents formerly belonging to SFF, who resigned from the party three months before the election protesting their leader’s misogynistic comments in Parliament.

Steve Whan, a former Labor Minister, is expected to defeat incumbent Natalie Overall in the seat of Monaro, formerly held by National party leader John Barilaro.

In Wagga Wagga, independent Joe McGirr has also increased his margin by 6.3 per cent after winning the seat from the Liberals at a by-election in 2018.

PERROTTET STEPS DOWN - WHO WILL FILL THE VOID?

During his concession speech to the party faithful in Sydney on Saturday night, outgoing Premier Dom Perrottet announced his resignation from the Liberal leadership. It is likely he will resign his seat when the party is prepared to contest a by-election in his seat of Epping.

As of Sunday, former Treasurer Matt Kean has announced his intention not to contest the leadership, while former Science and Innovation Minister Alister Henskens will likely throw his hat in the ring once the party room’s make-up is finalised.

KEY ALP POLICIES

The core tenets of the State Labor team reflected the same messages that resonated so strongly nationally during the 2022 Federal election – from a ‘fair go’ for all Australians to a ‘fresh start’ in NSW, commitments to improve living standards have been cornerstone of the party’s manifestos, and strong political performers will be championing these policies within the new Government.

From reforming the state’s education system across preschools, schools and TAFE, to boosting wages for workers in the state’s essential services, and improving resources for the state’s emergency services (following the devastating natural disasters from bushfires to floods particularly impacting regional NSW communities) Labor have committed themselves to ensuring ‘no one is left behind.’

Housing

Renters and first home buyers will be among the key beneficiaries of Labor’s election commitments, pledging its commitment to tackle the issues of secret rent bidding, simplifying process for pet ownership in rental properties and abolishing Stamp Duty for first home buyers.

Improved road infrastructure

Recognising challenges in the state’s transportation system, particularly to commuters, Labor committed $1.1 billion to improve thoroughfares across Western Sydney and regional NSW, relieving bottlenecks in Riverstone and Homebush, new entry and exit ramps on the M1 at Dapto and along the Hume Highway from Liverpool. Labor has also committed to introducing a weekly toll cap of $60 for motorists.

Renewable Energy

$1 billion will be allocated to a new state-run energy body to accelerate investment in renewable energy assets. The new NSW Energy Security Corporation will partner with industry on projects including:

Medium to long duration renewable energy storage solutions like pumped hydro, as well as other commercially viable technologies able to provide grid stability; and
Community batteries to maximise the benefits for households of rooftop solar.

Similarly, power bills will be shaved for NSW residents – $315 for eligible small businesses, and around $250 off household bills for families receiving income support.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The Edelman Trust Barometer showed people’s trust in government has fallen dramatically and some 61 per cent said the lack of civility and mutual respect is “the worst I’ve ever seen”. As such, one of the most interesting features of this election campaign was its civility, with neither party taking “the low road,” as Chris Minns noted during his victory speech. The outgoing Premier’s remarks were similarly respectful and generous, urging the people of NSW to get behind a “fine leader”.

For those wanting to engage with the new government, it’s worth noting that almost every member of the new NSW Cabinet will have spent their entire political careers in Opposition.

It will be important to remember in the short term that much of the focus will be staffing up ministerial offices and ensuring that the government hits the ground running. Now is the time to consider recalibrating your strategy and being nimble in working with government departments and political offices.

This election wrap was prepared by Edelman Global Advisory (EGA) Australia and Edelman Australia. For information on EGA’s advisory and government communications services, please contact Peter Fraser at Peter.Fraser@Edelman.com.

Image Source: Photo by Sam Wermut on Unsplash

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