Who ran the mining companies’ "Axe the Tax" campaign?

[Dick Smith]

Can anyone advise me who ran the brilliant ‘Axe the Tax’ campaign for Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest? Presumably it was a very astute lobbying company.

Most people would think they could never win that one but they did.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[dhavillandpilot]

Someone with very deep pockets

[sagesau]

Ask Gina or Twiggy

[Lead Balloon]

That bloke who left his wife for a staff member who’s about to have a baby the identity of whose father has been put in doubt by that bloke, and another other bloke who didn’t know he had Italian citizenship. Can’t recall their names.

[peterc005]

The pollsters Crosby and Textor were the strategists behind the "Axe the tax" campaign:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosby_Textor_Group

The campaign cost about $20m, but had the effect of increasing Gina Rinehart's wealth by about $5b.

It was a scare campaign based on disinformation and a blight on Australian political history.

In politics if you can scare people, for instance Barnaby Joyce's "$100 lamb roast", they tend to focus on the perceived threat and ignore the big picture. It's a cheap trick.

@DickSmith I admire what you've done in the past and always search for and buy your products in the supermarket.

However, I think ADSB is both inevitable and a compelling enhancement to aviation safety. I think sometimes you try to scare people by embellishing claims of costs and negative implications of ADSB.

[Bend alot]

Julia Gillard certainly did axe the mining tax, with The Mining Tax negotiated with the Big Miners after rolling Kevin to look "good" by having a tax that collected less tax than the cost of implementing the said tax.

[2bigmellons]

Must’ve accidentally clicked on the professional miners forum....ooops.

[Dick Smith]

Looks as if Crosby is in the UK. I need someone in Australia.

[peterc005]

@DickSmith - "Axe the Tax" was a nasty, negative campaign based on deceit and naked self-interest.

Is that what you want?

I don't think they used a PR agency. My understanding is that it was run by a coalition of conservative politicians centered on Tony Abbot, the mining lobby and climate change denier nutters.

A better, and less expensive, approach is to run a "GetUp" style social media campaign.

A good place to start would be to outline your grievance or manifesto as an online petition here - www.change.org (http://www.change,org)

[Another Number]

If you're wanting a campaign for anything that would go against any Coalition policies or interests of their mates, then I doubt those crooks (Crosby & Textor) are the best choice.

As far as that anti "Mining Tax" campaign went, you also have to remember our own Mini Murdoch (Kerry Stokes -the guy who runs the place) had a huge vested interest in preventing the tax. By the way, he also has a big interest in a Big Australia.

[gerry111]

Looks as if Crosby is in the UK. I need someone in Australia.

Perhaps try Brian Loughnane's squeeze, Peta Credlin? :(

[cooperplace]

Looks as if Crosby is in the UK. I need someone in Australia.
Bespoke Approach?

[jonkster]

@DickSmith I admire what you've done in the past and always search for and buy your products in the supermarket.

However, I think ADSB is both inevitable and a compelling enhancement to aviation safety. I think sometimes you try to scare people by embellishing claims of costs and negative implications of ADSB.

I feel any campaign about a specific CASA policy or regulation would be a waste and would miss the thing that would potentially make the most difference to the sustainability of GA and aviation industry in Oz generally.

I *would* support a campaign to change the charter of CASA to make its role not solely to promote and encourage aviation safety through regulation but instead to promote and encourage a safe and sustainable aviation industry through regulation and provision of services.

That lack of consideration of the health of the industry (to me) seems to be at the heart of the problem between CASA and the industry and addressing that has the potential to make the biggest positive difference.

We all argue about the merits of a specific regulation or direction. Getting pilots and companies to all agree on common policies or set of regulations is herding cats. Aviation tends to attract people with strong opinions and independent natures.

However if there was at least an organisation overseeing policy who had the best interests of the industry at the centre of its charter (specifically safety and sustainability) then that would be better than the current situation: a whole herd of cats and an organisation charged with overseeing them, that really dislikes cats.