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# SAS Group

## Sitemaps

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## News

- [What Labor and the Coalition could borrow from American boardrooms](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/what-labor-and-the-coalition-could-borrow-from-american-boardrooms/) - I consider myself very fortunate to have spent two years living in Philadelphia studying business and public policy at one of America's top universities. Corporate strategy was a big part of the curriculum: how firms make clear choices in competitive markets. Sitting in the classrooms, I was struck by the humility of major American firms
- [Sliding Doors moments](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/sliding-door-moments/) - The United States - comprising 13 states along the east coast of North America - has defeated England in the final Ashes test in New York and remains the undisputed king of world cricket; Pennsylvania is facing bitter rival Virginia in the final State of Origin match; Australie is the largest French speaking nation outside France; and
- [Mad as hell and not going to take this anymore](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/mad-as-hell-and-not-going-to-take-this-anymore/) - Here’s a quick bit of movie trivia. Which Australian is the only person to win a posthumous Oscar for Best Actor? Those who quickly answered Health Ledger… are wrong. (He won Best Supporting Actor after his death.) The correct answer is Peter Finch, for his lead role in the movie Network, which was released 50 years ago
- [Slogans for bogans](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/slogans-for-bogans/) - Firstly, 'bogan' is not a dirty word. Some of Australia's most respected national treasures fall into this category. Paul Hogan, Sophie Monk and Robert Irwin all qualify, and Margot Robbie is even a self-proclaimed 'bonafide bogan.' According to AI, the term 'bogan' is Australian slang traditionally associated with the working class, ranging from a derogatory
- [No sugar hits. No headlines. No problem.](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/no-sugar-hits-no-headlines-no-problem/) - Let's play a game: without googling, asking a friend or looking at social media – sum up your instinctive reaction to the recent QLD Budget in one word. If you're struggling to even think of an answer, you can be forgiven. The Football World Cup, State of Origin, a UK Prime Minister resigning, the ongoing
- [The real force reshaping Australian politics](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/the-real-force-reshaping-australian-politics/) - The Coalition increasingly believes its future lies further to the right. Labor, buoyed by a commanding parliamentary majority, appears confident that its current agenda offers a compelling alternative. Yet a simple question posed recently by Karl Stefanovic cuts through much of the commentary surrounding Australian politics: "Do you miss the old Australia?" The question resonates because
- [The story that held us together](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/the-story-that-held-us-together/) - One of the good things about a disrupter is that they force everyone else to pull their socks up. It's rarely comfortable. Almost never convenient. But healthy disruption compels us to revisit assumptions we've stopped questioning, sharpen arguments we've allowed to become dull, and ask whether the stories we're telling still make sense. In the
- [Evolve or die](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/07/evolve-or-die/) - Evolve or die. One of the rare, unarguable truths of this world. I'm lucky enough to spend my days surrounded by industry leaders who educate me in campaigns and governments, the wins and the wrecks. The political and corporate world is painting a picture, and I have a front-row seat. We exist in an environment
- [Reading the room from Kirribilli House ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/reading-the-room-from-kirribilli-house/) - Kirribilli House, perched high on a cliff above Sydney Harbour, is about as far as it is possible to be from the mythical ‘everyday Australian’ referenced so often in political debate. Little wonder, then, that our Prime Ministers, ensconced behind the stone walls of their second official residence in one of Sydney’s swankiest suburbs, can
- [On the inside looking out](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/on-the-inside-looking-out/) - Power has a tendency to set you adrift. Not all at once — it happens slowly, the way someone stops noticing the background noise of a city they've lived in too long. You rise, your circle narrows, your information gets filtered, and somewhere in that process you stop hearing the things that don't make it
- [Canary on the campaign trail](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/canary-on-the-campaign-trail/) - Opposition Leader Steven Miles framed this month’s Stafford by-election as a clear-cut Labor victory. The 4.1% swing against them tells a different, seemingly impossible story. A popular first-term government led by David Crisafulli, not yet halfway through its term, drove a swing against the Opposition in their own backyard. For some, this by-election is the
- [One Nation surge, winning their first House of Reps seat](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/one-nation-surge-winning-their-first-house-of-reps-seat/) - The One Nation surge in support is driven by cost-of-living pressures, immigration and an electorate hungry for more honesty and authenticity from politicians. In March this year at the South Australian election, the Liberal vote collapsed by almost 17% across both houses, securing just 5 seats in the lower house and 6 in the upper
- [Open or slightly ajar…](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/open-or-slightly-ajar/) - Maybe you can help me with something? What do you hear when a politician uses the phrase 'open for business'? I'm genuinely interested in your experience and insights, so email me at daniel.hobbs@sasgroup.net.au. When it comes to this month's Inside Word Queensland State Politics Report, there's plenty of grist for the mill, but most of it
- [Political capital gains and losses](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/political-capital-gains-and-losses/) - It was two-time UK Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson who famously said, "In politics, a week is a long time." For the federal Labor government, the next election is an eternity away with a margin large enough to weather a serious storm, so technically one week is just a blink. High interest rates, low productivity,
- [What we knew before the speech](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/what-we-knew-about-the-budget/) - Faced with persistent structural deficits, increased spending, and a generation of voters are struggling to enter the housing market, the Albanese government and Treasurer Jim Chalmers appear willing to absorb political risk in pursuit of sweeping reform with the 2026-27 Federal Budget. Treasury and market modelling suggests potentially $35bn in revenue and savings over the
- [What the 2026 Budget means for your super](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/what-the-2026-budget-means-for-your-super/) - Tonight's Federal Budget delivers significant changes to superannuation, capital gains tax and trust arrangements, with important implications for retirees and self-funded investors. Key takeaways: Superannuation tax concessions tightened for large balances. The Government is proceeding with its plan to reduce tax concessions for individuals with total superannuation balances above $3 million. Those with balances below this
- [Workers win, wealth pays](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/workers-win-wealth-pays/) - The 2026–27 Federal Budget was for Australian workers. Having chosen the “hard road of reform”, while facing charges of broken promises, Treasurer Jim Chalmers sent a clear message to the people and families of Australia tonight: wage earners, first home buyers and younger Australians will come out ahead, while property investors, trust beneficiaries and older
- [Productivity over property](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/productivity-over-property/) - Chalmers redraws the investment map. It's official: Jim Chalmers has announced major changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax. My takeaway is that the new Australian dream is moving investment from property to productivity. From July 2027, negative gearing on residential property will be limited to new builds only. Existing investors are grandfathered and
- [Out with the old – Labor pins its electoral hopes on the next generation](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/out-with-the-old-labor-pins-its-electoral-hopes-on-the-next-generation/) - Jim Chalmers’ fifth budget has set the scene for a ‘young verses old’ race to the next election, with a determined effort to shift wealth and prosperity to younger and less affluent voters. The price of doing so is a broken promise to investors who are – generally – older and more affluent. The question
- [Impact on business](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/impact-on-business/) - Australia is not immune to a volatile world of Trump trade barriers, the worst oil shock since the 1970s, and grappling with a significant inflation challenge. The Treasurer went to great pains to point out the current headwinds facing the Australian economy and, by extension, the Australian business community. The 2026 Budget provides modest but
- [The clock is now ticking for the Albanese Government](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/the-clock-is-now-ticking-for-the-albanese-government/) - Tonight the Treasurer has handed down the Albanese Government's first budget of its second term, and on the evidence of Parliament House this afternoon, you would barely know it. The corridors were quiet, interest groups were subdued, and none of the pre-budget theatre that usually accompanies a major announcement was on display. That stillness is
- [Impact: creating our own story](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/impact-creating-our-own-story/) - The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once wrote, "The limits of my language mean the limits of my world." Like all emerging industries, social impact in Queensland is still developing a common language, one that fosters a shared story which in turn enables collective action. A genuinely effective and robust impact ecosystem in Queensland, underpinned by
- [Example of a Program Logic: Queensland Child Safety](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/example-of-a-program-logic-queensland-child-safety/) - Every policy or program can be broken down into five sequential stages. Each build on the last, moving from what you put into the system to the lasting change you hope to create. Here’s what each stage means, using Queensland’s Child Safety system as the example. 1. Inputs are the resources committed to make the program
- [Relationships and team dynamics](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/relationships-and-team-dynamics/) - It’s impossible to go through life without being in a team environment. Junior sporting sides, your first part-time job flipping burgers, group assignments at university and your chosen career all involve the ability to work with others. In all team dynamics the relationships between the various actors are integral to both the culture and success
- [The impact of good relationships](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/the-impact-of-good-relationships/) - Our driving force at the SAS Group is contributing to positive change in our state and nation. We pride ourselves on working with clients that help build a better Australia. How that’s done varies from one organization to the next, but the common thread among the people we support is the desire to create a positive
- [How we like to work with government](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/how-we-like-to-work-with-government/) - Over the past month, I have had the pleasure of working with a wide range of clients. Some, I have known for a long time, some new and some prospective – all doing exciting things. Through these interactions, I have been able to share how the SAS Group likes to work with government, and now
- [Thursday Night Lights](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/thursday-night-lights/) - Thursday nights, I'm in the arena. You'll find me strategising, pacing about, voice raised under the glare of a spotlight, and locked in a brutal contest. No, this isn't politics… it's coaching Colts 4 rugby. When I took on the role of assistant coach for under-21s University rugby, the first job was to build a
- [Public angst fuels political fortune](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/public-angst-fuels-political-fortune/) - Public angst is a governing resource. The question is whether you're spending it - or borrowing against it. April in Queensland was defined by fuel. Not necessarily the price of it, but the fear around the lack of it. Specifically, our lack of sovereignty around it. The Strait of Hormuz is in chaos. Bowser prices climbing.
- [Second term, second budget and permission to act](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/05/second-term-second-budget-and-permission-to-act/) - Labor's landslide victory in 2025 saw PM Anthony Albanese and Treasurer Jim Chalmers go into their second term with a stronger mandate and a shift away from short-term political survival toward long-term economic and social reform. This mandate has now changed and, with the 12 May budget, has fallen squarely on Jim Chalmers' shoulders. The
- [Did the PM miss his moment?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/04/could-albos-address-have-been-an-email/) - There is a moment in every crisis - brief, almost cinematic - where a leader earns the room or loses it. Wednesday night, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pulled one of the rarest levers in Australian politics: a national address, coordinated across every major television and radio network - a format so rare it had COVID-traumatised
- [All along the watchtower](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/04/all-along-the-watchtower/) - Last month, the Queensland government passed the Fighting Antisemitism Amendment Bill in response to the Bondi massacre. It is admirable that Premier David Crisafulli acted swiftly in response to the Bondi massacre; however, hate is not a simple problem - it’s a wicked problem: complex, sly, resistant to hard power, deeply rooted in human behaviour,
- [Being prepared – but I’m not a ‘doomsday prepper’](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/04/being-prepared-but-im-not-a-doomsday-prepper/) - It’s a natural human condition to be concerned about the future. It’s so deep in our DNA to want to prepare for the worst in times of uncertainty. Many Australians at the moment are critical of governments over a lengthy period for what we perceive as a failure to plan for times like these. And so,
- [Never let a good crisis go to waste](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/04/never-let-a-good-crisis-go-to-waste/) - Winston Churchill’s insight cuts a little deep right now. Chaos is not good for business, but savvy politicians recognise the value of a crisis. Periods of disruption create space for governments to reposition, reshape narratives, and pursue policy directions that might otherwise face resistance. Chaos, in that sense, is not just a byproduct of politics;
- [Fuel crisis hits Australia ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/04/fuel-crisis-hits-australia/) - “Known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns” This was former US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s famous quote on intelligence reports on weapons of mass destruction used to justify the invasion of Iraq in 2002. It sounds eerily familiar to another Donald’s justifications for the war on Iran. Fast forward to April 2026, and the conflict
- [This too shall pass](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/04/this-too-shall-pass/) - Clients and friends of the SAS Group, Many of us would know the phrase 'This too shall pass' as an exhortation to remember the impermanence of any situation, including the human condition. Perhaps what might be less-well known to some is the fact that the phrase has its roots in Persian Sifu poetry and wisdom, which is
- [The challenge of opposition ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/03/the-challenge-of-opposition/) - 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
- ['Bold but Faithful'](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/02/bold-but-faithful/) - 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
- [Resurrection or ruin, it’s life or death for the Liberal Party ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/03/resurrection-or-ruin-its-life-or-death-for-the-liberal-party/) - 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
- [Bracing for May: the Budget, the by-election and the decisions that could define the term](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/02/february-2026-a-month-of-shocks/) - 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
- [The Getting of Wisdom: SAS Group joins forces with Sabio creative agency](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/03/the-getting-of-wisdom-sas-group-joins-forces-with-sabio-creative-agency/) - 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,
- [Love the one you’re with](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/03/love-the-one-youre-with/) - 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
- [How not to survive a scandal: UK edition](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/02/how-not-to-survive-a-scandal-uk-edition/) - 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
- [It’s breakup season ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/its-breakup-season/) - The Australian bond market is jittery. The 10-year yield hit 4.83% (at the time of writing) - its highest since November 2023 - as investors braced for the RBA to tighten the screws. Rising yields mean investors are demanding more compensation to lend money. Faith now comes at a premium. It’s almost poetic. Bonds are
- [Vale the Hon Ron Boswell AO](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/vale-the-hon-ron-boswell-ao/) - The legendary Queensland politician, Ron Boswell, was laid to rest in Brisbane on 16 January at a state funeral attended by key identities from all sides of parliament, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and former Prime Minister, John Howard. Known simply as ‘Bozzie’, the Hon Ron Boswell AO was a good man who served as
- [Inside Labor’s 2025 campaign review](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/inside-labors-2025-campaign-review/) - The Australian Labor Party has released its internal review of the 2025 federal election campaign. For a document reflecting on an historic win of 94 seats, it is notably focused on what comes next. It offers a useful window into how the party reads its mandate and, more importantly, how seriously it takes the gap
- [The GC - Beautiful one day, business the next!](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/the-gc-beautiful-one-day-business-the-next/) - 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
- [BREXIT 2.0 and 3.0](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/brexit-2-0-and-3-0/) - In a media week dominated by leadership chatter, policy battles and more-than-the-usual Canberra theatre, we were gleefully distracted in the pop culture corner by the breaking of Brand Beckham. On the surface, the public tension between Brooklyn Beckham and his wildly famous parents looked like classic celebrity drama. Underneath, it was something more interesting: a
- [Doing a Bradbury](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/doing-a-bradbury/) - 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
- [Ticking time bombs are best placed in steady hands](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/ticking-time-bombs-are-best-placed-in-steady-hands/) - In the last Inside Word, I wrote about the resignation of Kevin Rudd as Australia’s Ambassador to the United States, and who might be his replacement. I got it wrong; Prime Minister Albanese has gone for a career public servant not a political appointment. Greg Moriarty has been named the next Ambassador currently Australia’s Secretary
- [The irony of independence ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/the-irony-of-independence/) - Two hundred and fifty years ago, a group of colonies chose defiance over accommodation. They were weaker, dependent and vulnerable, yet they resisted the authority of the most powerful empire of their time. In doing so, they shaped a new world order. The Declaration of Independence signified the rejection of a system that did not
- [2026: the LNP’s year to pull the trigger](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/2026-the-lnps-year-to-pull-the-trigger/) - Politics runs on calendars as much as it runs on convictions. For Queensland’s Crisafulli Government, 2026 isn’t just another year in office - it’s the last clear runway before the election clock starts working against them. Four-year terms might sound like we get more governing time. But in reality, the governing window is tighter than
- [Bondi to Washington: Historical lessons for the modern statesman](https://sasgroup.net.au/2026/01/bondi-to-washington-historical-lessons-for-the-modern-statesman/) - Over the summer, two books influenced my thinking: First Amongst Equals, Hans L. Trefouss’s account of Abraham Lincoln’s rise to the US presidency, and Tony Abbott’s History of Australia. Lincoln was renowned for uniting the Republican Party. Not only did he prevail in the American Civil War, but he also laid the foundations in 1865 for the modern
- [2025 – The year of surprises](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/2025-the-year-of-surprises/) - As Australia headed into Christmas 12 months ago, the political consensus was that the Albanese Government was in trouble, and would likely fall into a minority position at the upcoming election. Jump forward just five months, and Albo enjoyed one of the most stunning electoral victories in our nation’s history. The magnitude of Labor’s win caught
- [The curious case of social news and the vanishing teen audience](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/the-curious-case-of-social-news-and-the-vanishing-teen-audience/) - Australia is at an unusual crossroads in its media landscape. Social media has now officially overtaken news websites as the primary source of news for many Australians, particularly younger audiences. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are now where breaking news, public debate and cultural commentary are taking place and shape. At the same time,
- [Insights from the 2025 Australian Election Study](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/insights-from-the-2025-australian-election-study/) - Ten structural signals shaping Australian politics after the 2025 federal election The 2025 Australian Election Study (AES) provides the deepest view yet of the forces shaping Australian political behaviour. Beyond headline results about leader popularity, the study points to long-term trends in how voters think about government, economic stress, social issues, party identity and institutional
- [The real test we all play](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/the-real-test-we-all-play/) - As we head into summer, the Ashes will once again become the soundtrack of the nation. Test cricket has always been one of Australia’s great pastimes, but the game also offers lessons that reach far beyond the boundary. Politics and business, whether you like it or not, operate on many of the same principles. Success
- [Politics on the back foot as the Second Test takes centre stage](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/politics-on-the-back-foot-as-the-second-test-takes-centre-stage/) - The sounds of summer have arrived, Christmas is fast approaching, and the second test is underway at the Gabba. If there’s one thing that unifies the country, it’s cricket against our traditional foe, the English. However, the unity of purpose on the pitch is certainly not the case in our parliaments, and the summer recess
- [Authenticity: The real audacity](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/authenticity-the-real-audacity/) - In today’s media circus, true audacity has been hijacked and reduced to cheap stunts and viral theatrics. Last month, Sky News Australia aired a segment where a guest draped himself in bacon claiming it would “protect him from terrorists.” The network later apologised and removed the footage, but not before the clip went viral, racking
- [The fragility behind the majority](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/the-fragility-behind-the-majority/) - November 2025 delivered the clearest indication yet that Australian politics remains volatile despite the Albanese Government's commanding 94-seat majority. While media coverage fixates on the Coalition’s tensions and energy policy, the government operates with acute awareness that its majority rests on a historically low primary vote and an increasingly transactional electorate. The urgency driving bills
- [Queensland Politics in 2026 – from honeymoon to minefield](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/12/queensland-politics-in-2026-from-honeymoon-to-minefield/) - As we move into 2026, the political landscape in Queensland is entering a new, more focused phase. Premier David Crisafulli’s LNP Government has wrapped up the honeymoon period afforded new governments, and pressure is now building on two fronts: the need to deliver on ambitious reform promises, and the looming resurgence of a Labor Opposition
- [Retail crime campaign in VIC kicks off in full swing](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/retail-crime-campaign-in-vic-kicks-off-in-full-swing/) - Employers have a duty to protect their workers, and every employee has the right to feel safe at work. But when the threat comes from outside the workplace, tackling it takes a coordinated, national effort. Australia is in the midst of a retail crime crisis. From theft and aggression to organised criminal activity, the problem
- [Political voids must be filled](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/political-voids-must-be-filled/) - As in mathematics, where the sum of the parts equals the whole, in our electoral system a gain for one party must equal a loss for another. The question is where that vote lands after all the counting is done. The swings and roundabouts that have characterised Australia’s federal elections have clearly delivered so much
- [Mid-term test for QLD Govt](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/mid-term-test-for-qld-govt/) - Midway through its first term, the Crisafulli Government will face its first electoral test. The Hinchinbrook by-election will take place on November 29, following the resignation of Katter MP Nick Dametto, who is to run for the Townsville mayoralty. By-elections are almost always unwanted events for any incumbent - even if it’s a seat, as
- [Nowhere to grow](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/nowhere-to-grow/) - The last possible day for the next federal election is not until 20 May 2028. As the saying goes, if a week is a long time in politics, then this is an eternity. As we have seen with past elections, outcomes can swing either way, particularly this far out. No one should be arrogant enough to
- [The Rise of Reece](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/why-englands-kids-are-wearing-broncos-jerseys/) - It’s 8pm on Wednesday 22 October and I’m onboard my flight from Berlin to London. I’ve already taken my seat when a group of English teenage school students board. One of the boys looks at me, spots my Brisbane Broncos cap, and remarks in a posh Hugh Grant-style London accent, “Oh, the Broncos, Reece Walsh
- [SAS Group acquires Cole Lawson Communications](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/sas-group-acquires-cole-lawson-communications/) - Clients and friends, I’m pleased to share some exciting news about a recent acquisition by the SAS Group which significantly enhances our service offering and capability. We have acquired the highly respected corporate advisory group Cole Lawson Communications, along with its subsidiary branding and marketing agencies Ruby6 and We Are Brooklyn. Firstly, a quick disclaimer – I was one
- [Don’t mess with the Zohran](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/dont-mess-with-the-zohran/) - Let’s talk about the political outsider who defeated an established political dynasty. No, not Trump. Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic candidate for New York City Mayor, has emerged victorious, defeating establishment favourite Andrew Cuomo, taking City Hall. In the lead-up to election night, think pieces flooded the press dissecting his Democratic Socialist credentials, ambitious reform agenda,
- [Make the camera your ally](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/11/make-the-camera-your-ally/) - The year was 2008. I’d been a junior television reporter for four years. I was on the precipice of finally cracking the ‘big league’ by doing my first live cross on national television. I was based in Parliament House, Canberra. The topic was the Global Financial Crisis. With sweaty palms and debilitating nerves, I paced
- [The middle man always wins](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/the-middle-man-always-wins/) - Australia’s political system is different to the rest of the world, as distinctive as our landscape and people - something we can all be proud of, and something we should all work hard to preserve. Just as our native flora and fauna have adapted to thrive in a unique and diverse environment, our democracy has
- [Rage baiting Queensland](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/rage-baiting-queensland/) - Ever been on a TV-show binge and there’s that one character who does something that makes your teeth gnash? You don’t care about this person, you’re not invested, and yet somehow, the writers knew exactly what they were doing. Because the writers know he is probably the reason you’re binging the show. That character is
- [The secret sauce of how to make the news and look good doing it](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/the-secret-sauce-of-how-to-make-the-news-and-look-good-doing-it/) - You’re no doubt familiar with the saying, “All publicity is good publicity.” It was coined by a 19th-century showman called P.T. Barnum, who owned and a ran a circus. You may know him as The Greatest Showman. I beg to differ with Mr Barnum and, I suspect in more recent times, several football stars and major
- [No good policy should be set in stone](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/no-good-policy-should-be-set-in-stone/) - A good policy or reform is often backed by an evidence-based, holistic approach, but when the policy settings aren’t right, it’s important that governments adjust them: Explain the change. Have confidence in the decision. Move on. A good example of this - playing out right now - is Queensland’s coal royalty settings, a policy change
- [A prophet in other lands: Albanese’s global tour made possible by Australia’s compulsory preferential voting system](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/the-albanese-global-tour-a-prophet-in-other-lands-made-possible-by-australias-compulsory-preferential-voting-system/) - Thirty years ago, I entered Parliament in the 1996 Howard election landslide. Under Paul Keating, Labor had been reduced to a rump, and one of the few ALP members to enter Parliament was the member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese. Ironically, the Howard victory delivered a 94-seat majority — the same number as the ALP majority
- [The mouse that roared](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/the-mouse-that-roared/) - Australia is a small country, and while we may appear distant or small to our western neighbours, when our voice is heard, it carries weight - real weight. As political divisiveness dominates American and European discourse, Anthony Albanese has emerged as a steady and effective Prime Minister, prioritising Australia’s national interest over personal ideology. His
- [One year down, three to go for Crisafulli Government](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/one-year-down-three-to-go-for-crisafulli-government/) - This month marks 12 months since the election of the Crisafulli Government. During this period, it has focused on key election commitments such as fighting youth crime, reducing ambulance ramping and improving infrastructure productivity. These issues - and others - can’t be resolved overnight, so the government will maintain momentum on these key pillars throughout
- [Dawning of the maroon decade](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/10/dawning-of-the-maroon-decade/) - I’m going to start this column with two cowardly disclaimers. The first is that I realise it may not age well, and that by 10pm on Sunday night it could be looking decidedly stale. But that’s the risk one takes when committing thought bubbles to print. The second is an apology to our many clients
- [Trump’s second term, China’s opportunity, and what it means for Australian business](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/trumps-second-term-chinas-opportunity-and-what-it-means-for-australian-business/) - The United States is back in familiar but volatile territory: Donald Trump returned to the White House, bringing with him a foreign and economic policy that prioritises disruption over predictability. But this time, the global stakes are arguably higher, and for Australia, the consequences more complex. I recently returned from the United States, where I
- [The Arts: Something worth fighting for](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/the-arts-something-worth-fighting-for/) - Throw a stone and you’re bound to find an article lamenting the death of the arts in Australia, especially cinema. A quick scan through the arts section and I see how many decades-old programs and institutions are underfunded or going out of business. Although opportunities for burgeoning artists remain, there prevails a looming sense of
- [Political meltdown in the Motherland – Australia take note](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/political-meltdown-in-the-motherland-australia-take-note/) - A political reckoning could be about to hit the United Kingdom. One so big that, if it occurs, would be bigger than Brexit and Trump’s election (both times) combined. According to the opinion polls, there is the distinct possibility that, for the first time since 1922, Britain will have a Prime Minister from neither the
- [The young and the restless](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/the-young-and-the-restless/) - Growing up, my grandmother made me watch a show called The Young and the Restless. Now, Gen Z has taken that title to Canberra. As a member of Gen Z at the SAS Group, I find myself teaching colleagues new slang, memes, and TikTok life hacks. While my colleagues bring decades of political experience, I bring
- [Playing the long game](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/playing-the-long-game/) - Developments in recent days have rightly focused on the Government’s actions in response to two attacks on the Jewish community that ASIO has credibly linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Government made the announcement clearly and decisively, projecting strong confidence in acting in Australia’s national interest. This same control, decisiveness and commitment to the
- [Navigating the minefield of modern political discourse](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/navigating-the-minefield-of-modern-political-discourse/) - Here at the SAS Group, we pride ourselves on helping you navigate the political landscape and get your message across to the right people. But this week has provided evidence – if any were needed – that expressing a view in the modern political sphere is increasingly fraught with danger. From claims of racism to
- [Behind the Glass and Marble](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/behind-the-glass-and-marble/) - I’m one of the SAS Group crew who leans more into comms than government relations. I follow the news, I vote, and like many working in public affairs and corporate communications, I engage with policy when it intersects with business. But politics, as it does for many of us, happened “over there”—in the chilly ACT,
- [Cold front in Canberra, hot streak for Labor](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/cold-front-in-canberra-hot-streak-for-labor/) - It takes a committed political pundit to flee Queensland’s mild winters and willingly embrace ice-cold Canberra in July… but alas, yours truly is guilty as charged. And while the wind chill factor is off the charts in our nation’s capital, I get the sense Labor feels like it’s on a sizzling winning streak. Walking the
- [My big fat LNP Christmas ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/my-big-fat-lnp-christmas/) - Family Christmas lunches have a way of revealing both the charm and chaos of belonging. The rituals, rivalries, and rotating menu of grievances come with the territory. Tension simmers, personalities clash—but still, we show up. Not because it’s easy, but because shared history and hope bind us, even when everything else pulls us apart. If
- [Climate wars: The gift that keeps on giving. ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/climate-wars-the-gift-that-keeps-on-giving/) - When I sat in the Speakers’ Gallery last week to watch question time, it occurred to me that Prime Minister Albanese is the luckiest man in Australia. If the record majority in May’s election wasn’t enough, the implosion of self-harm within the Coalition and Greens parties most certainly reinforces the crushing defeat of the Liberal–National
- [The more things change, the more they stay the same – Capital Hill is no exception](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/08/the-more-things-change-the-more-they-stay-the-same-capital-hill-is-no-exception/) - Our national capital, in many ways, is like a snow globe. I’m not referring to the very light dusting of powder it receives every few winters. I mean that even after it is thoroughly shaken up – as it was a few months back – everything settles back into place, often very quickly. I was
- [A Transformed, but no less busy parliament](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/07/a-transformed-but-no-less-busy-parliament/) - The 48th Parliament opens on 22 July, 2025 into a fundamentally altered political environment. There are signs the Albanese Government is embracing 'supply-side progressivism'—a concept from Ezra Klein's influential work Abundance—and integrating it into its 'patriotic progressivism' vision. This approach represents a significant departure from traditional left-wing approaches, focusing not just on redistributing wealth but
- [Stepping out and stepping up](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/07/stepping-out-and-stepping-up/) - The start of the financial year is always an exciting time for business, with hopes of strong performance and growth in the coming 12 months. For us at the SAS Group this new financial year is a particularly exciting one, as we have just undergone a significant change in our ownership structure, with several of
- [The real cost of war](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/07/the-real-cost-of-war/) - Less than two weeks before the battle begins in Canberra—with Parliament resuming—the Coalition is keen for combat. It’s backing President Donald Trump’s call to step up defence spending. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor says we are in a more uncertain time than at any other period since World War II. Between Iran, Israel, Palestine, Ukraine,
- [Authority can be strengthened when it’s shared. ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/07/authority-can-be-strengthened-when-its-shared/) - In the theatre of politics, we—the audience—have a tendency to fixate on the lead. In Queensland, that’s the Premier. The one in the spotlight. The man in the hot seat. After all, heavy is the head, and Premier David Crisafulli has become known for sharing the crown around—particularly with his Terry Mackenroth–style counterpart, Deputy Premier Jarrod
- [Rates exclusion a Eureka moment](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/07/rates-exclusion-a-eureka-moment/) - Eureka Group Holdings, an ASX-listed entity (EGH), specialises in providing quality and affordable rental accommodation for seniors in safe and well-managed environments. It has 52 villages across six states, including two in Cairns - New Horizons Villas Earlville and Cascade Gardens Smithfield. In April, Eureka contracted the SAS Group to engage with the Cairns Regional
- [Bigger picture behind the Queensland Budget](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/06/bigger-picture-behind-the-queensland-budget/) - In politics, the sweet spot between good policy and good politics is elusive. Too often, governments must choose between doing what works and doing what wins. In Queensland’s 2025–26 State Budget—the Liberal National Party’s (LNP) first in more than a decade—Treasurer David Janetzki sought to strike that rare balance. It’s a budget that is political
- [Keating’s ‘swill’ a lesson for Liberals](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/06/keatings-swill-a-lesson-for-liberals/) - Home truth: political parties exist to win elections. It’s their sole purpose. They don’t exist to govern; elected representatives and their departments bear that responsibility. They don’t exist to drive the economy; the private sector, particularly small business, largely does this. They don’t exist to cure souls; that’s the work of the church. Political parties exist to
- [Federal Government’s cup – and team - runneth over as second term agenda takes shape](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/06/federal-governments-cup-and-team-runneth-over-as-second-term-agenda-takes-shape/) - When the Federal Parliament resumes on 22 July, it will come with a glaring visual reminder of the size of Anthony Albanese’s election victory. Labor returns to Parliament with 94 House of Representatives Members, but the seating configuration in the chamber will only accommodate 87 MPs on the government benches. So significant was Albanese’s victory
- [Final election results – winners are grinners ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/06/2025-june-federal-politics-update/) - The final results are in for the 3 May federal election, and Labor can’t stop smiling. Meanwhile the Liberal-National Coalition is decidedly dour, and the Greens are, well, green. In the House of Representatives, Labor has been returned with a thumping majority. It holds 94 out of 150 seats, the largest majority in five decades. Conversely,
- [Liberals crash and burn, but could a phoenix rise from the ashes?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/05/liberals-crash-and-burn-but-could-a-phoenix-rise-from-the-ashes/) - Two rays of hope have emerged from the smoking rubble of the 2025 election result for Bob Menzies’ once-proud Liberals. In the affluent urban suburbs of Melbourne and Sydney, green shoots have appeared. Two Liberal candidates, Tim Wilson and Gisele Kapterian, have risen from the dead and are on track to reclaim Goldstein (Melbourne) and possibly Bradfield
- [Priorities for the returned Labor Government](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/05/priorities-for-the-returned-labor-government/) - Although the final count is yet to be determined, this is the biggest win for federal Labor since 1943. They have cleaned up in Tasmania, won at least seven additional seats in Queensland, secured a substantial swing to Labor in NSW, and have even picked up some Liberal seats in Victoria - largely unthinkable just
- [Scroll Wars](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/04/scroll-wars/) - For what felt like eons before PM Anthony Albanese fired the starting gun on the race to May 3, everyone was certain this would be an election like never before. How right everyone was! Yes, the heat was on big, heavy topics (such as cost of living, cost of living and cost of living), but
- [The campaign coverage from inside the media trenches ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/05/the-campaign-coverage-from-inside-the-media-trenches/) - The key to clickbait is shock and awe … but even those who trumpet the most farcical of ‘facts’ could not have eclipsed the astonishing certitude of the 2025 election result. This was not a Labor Landslide. It was an Albanese Avalanche. But let’s not succumb to amnesia. The flabbergasting outcome of May 3, and
- [Red wave trickles into the Senate](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/05/red-wave-trickles-into-the-senate/) - The red wave that washed through the House of Representatives on Saturday also trickled into the Senate. Bear with me a moment, as I’m a dork for the Senate and have been since I was a child (my mother must have dropped me on my head as a baby). As the House of Review, the Senate
- [Election Overview](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/05/election-overview/) - The 2025 election has delivered a resounding result for the Australian Labor Party and has instigated deep soul-searching within the Liberal Party. What shouldn’t be quickly forgotten, however, is the anti-incumbency mood that dominated political commentary for so long. Before the campaign proper, globally we saw the removal of the UK Government, US administration and
- [The Five Truisms of an Election](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/05/the-five-truisms-of-an-election/) - The SAS Group congratulates Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Party on their emphatic victory over the weekend. We also thank the many candidates—from all walks of life and political persuasions—who contested the 150 electorates across this vast country and helped uphold our uniquely Australian way of life and democracy. For weeks—indeed, months—leading up
- [It's the world according to Trump](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/04/its-the-world-according-to-trump/) - I don’t recall a time in my life when the name of one person, let alone two, have generated so much conversation and commentary amongst family, friends, colleagues, professional networks, and in the fourth estate. Since his ascendancy to President in November, this trophy has belonged to Donald Trump and second prize to Elon Musk. Think of any
- [Change is the constant](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/03/change-is-the-constant/) - Some days you wake up and everything is rosy. Other days you wake up and realise you’ve got egg on your face. Time to fess up about some eggs… The title of my blog in November last year was ‘Feels like the last sitting week of the 47th Parliament’. I can assure you, at the time it
- [Premier attempts the perfect dismount, but will it impress the judges?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/03/premier-attempts-the-perfect-dismount-but-will-it-impress-the-judges/) - It’s more than seven years until the Olympic flame is lit in Brisbane, but already we have a genuine contender for a gymnastics gold medal – Premier David Crisafulli for attempting the riskiest of dismounts under extreme pressure. After weeks of media reports, on March 25 the Premier confirmed on Queensland’s worst-kept secret – the
- [The final pitch](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/03/the-final-pitch/) - The 2025-26 Federal Budget handed down on March 25 all but fires the starting gun of this year’s federal election. The Treasurer has a good instinct for fusing policy and politics and he’s set the Opposition Leader a formidable challenge for this budget reply speech tonight. If you consume either traditional or alternative media, you
- [The Budget we had to have](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/03/the-budget-we-had-to-have/) - It’s the Federal Budget the Albanese Government didn’t want to have. Just days before the Prime Minister was planning to swing by the Governor General’s residence, Mother Nature had other plans. Labor faced a far more fierce competitor than the Coalition - a natural disaster called Alfred. As the ex-tropical cyclone ripped through South East
- [Red, Blue, Green, Teal and Orange – Australia’s colourful election campaign is underway](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/04/red-blue-green-teal-and-orange-australias-colourful-election-campaign-is-underway/) - Donald Trump has cast a long, orange shadow across the opening days of the Australian election campaign, and there’s every indication this will continue for the remaining four weeks. It’s difficult to remember a time when the actions of a foreign head of state have been such a prominent feature of a domestic election campaign. We’d
- [It’s time](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/02/its-time/) - ‘It’s time’ was the famous election slogan that swept Labor’s Gough Whitlam into power in the 1972 federal election, ending 23 years of Liberal-National Party rule. It’s time now for Anthony Albanese to call the 2025 election. Some political pundits predict the 2025 election may be called this weekend for April 5th, but the smart money is
- [2025 State Politics update - February](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/02/2025-state-politics-update-february/) - The debate quickly turned personal during the first 2025 sitting week of the Crisafulli Government, held last week. While the government continues to implement its agenda, Attorney-General Deb Frecklington tabled a report on former Treasurer Jackie Trad, and the opposition launched into questions about the appointment of incoming Under-Treasurer Paul Williams. Parliament will resume again
- [The seven-minute drive that will start the election campaign](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/02/the-seven-minute-drive-that-will-start-the-election-campaign/) - There's only one story in Australian politics right now. It's the guessing game about when Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will direct the driver of his C1 limousine up leafy Dunrossil Drive in Yarralumla to the iron gates of the Governor-General's residence. It's a mere seven minutes from the Prime Minister's driveway at Parliament House, but the
- [Be careful of what you say!](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/02/be-careful-of-what-you-say/) - My father, Doug, was a successful politician for 27 years. When I entered Federal Parliament in 1996, he gave me one piece of advice: ‘Son, keep your mouth shut. More people talk their way out of parliament than talk their way in.’ Mark Twain put it more bluntly: ‘It is better to keep your mouth
- [Celebrating 20 Years with The BUSY Group](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/01/celebrating-20-years-with-the-busy-group/) - January 2025 marks 20 years since Peter Costantini, Founding Director of the SAS Group, started advising The BUSY Group. What a privilege it has been to be part of their extraordinary journey of success. In the early days, BUSY was primarily an Apprenticeships Support Services provider, contracted by the Federal Government to operate in Queensland.
- [PM picks his team for the grand final](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/01/pm-picks-his-team-for-the-grand-final-2/) - By necessity, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced changes to the Ministry this month, triggered by Bill Shorten’s departure. Queenslander Anika Wells, Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Sport, has been promoted to Cabinet highlighting the importance of Queensland to the government’s re-election hopes. Amanda Rishworth is to add the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
- [Now the heavy lifting begins](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/01/now-the-heavy-lifting-begins/) - The Queensland LNP has managed the transition to government well. It has enjoyed the brief honeymoon period often afforded new governments and made the most of the opportunity to point out the failings of Labor’s last term in power. But things are about to get real for Crisafulli and his team. Monday marks 100 days
- [Federal politics update: January 2025](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/01/federal-politics-update-january-2025/) - It’s clear 2025 is a federal election year. National political debate usually kicks off after Australia Day, but this year the Prime Minister and Opposition Leader were active for most of January. While both major parties will reserve big announcements for the campaign, January’s targeted announcements were important. Labor announced revised funding of the Bruce
- [The SAS Standard](https://sasgroup.net.au/2025/01/the-sas-standard/) - Like all government relations agencies, the SAS Group is governed by various integrity frameworks at both the state and federal level. These arrangements are in place to ensure transparency and accountability in interactions between public officials and private organisations, and we support them. But our team doesn't strive simply to be the same as all
- [The Federal Election is closer than you think](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/12/the-federal-election-is-closer-than-you-think/) - This week we see more evidence of the Prime Minister preparing for an election early in 2025. We have already seen the volume of legislation passed in the last sitting week, and this week we've seen a key centrepiece of Labor's re-election plan, childcare reforms. I was expecting this announcement to be saved for January when the campaign
- [No more Mister Nice Guy as Premier takes revenge for abortion scare campaign](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/12/no-more-mister-nice-guy-as-premier-takes-revenge-for-abortion-scare-campaign/) - Today was the start of the first full sitting week of Queensland’s new Parliament, and it marked an abrupt halt to the niceties of the official opening week. Premier David Crisafulli dropped a stunning political bombshell immediately after Question Time, introducing sudden changes to the Standing Orders – Parliament’s operating rules – to block any
- [Great expectations](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/11/great-expectations/) - Queensland’s new Parliament met for the first time this week, one month since the October 26 election and almost 10 years to the day (November 27, 2014) since the last time the Liberal National Party sat on the Treasury benches. It’s a vastly different LNP team from that final sitting day in 2014. It’s smaller for starters
- [State politics update - November 2024](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/11/state-politics-update-november-2024/) - We’re underway! After what felt like a very long campaign, the 58th Parliament of Queensland and the Crisafulli LNP Government have been sworn in. We finished November with the first sitting of the new parliament and the introduction of the LNP’s Safer Community Laws. The Premier is determined to have these laws passed by Christmas.
- [Feels like the last sitting week of the 47th Parliament](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/11/feels-like-the-last-sitting-week-of-the-47th-parliament/) - After spending three days in Canberra this week, I believe we just saw the last sitting of the 47th Parliament and we all need to prepare for an election in early 2025. The Manager of Government Business in the Senate, the Hon Katy Gallagher, said that the Government was prepared to “sit through the night”
- [Disrupting political communications](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/11/disrupting-political-communications/) - The 2024 US Presidential election was the first ‘podcast election’. The way and means in which politicians communicate their message has evolved throughout time. New technology, devices, and changes in human behaviour all alter the way political candidates interact with the public. 150 years ago, newspapers allowed candidates to spread their message beyond the location
- [Queensland’s political shifts: Trends to watch](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/queenslands-political-shifts-trends-to-watch/) - No election outcome is ever a permanent statement on the future of politics. Both the major parties will form future governments, the support of minor parties will ebb and flow depending on electoral circumstances, and the issues that dominated this campaign could easily fade out of existence at the next poll in 2028. However, below
- [Premier Crisafulli sets out to banish Newman-era ghosts](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/premier-crisafulli-sets-out-to-banish-newman-era-ghosts/) - Newly elected governments place great emphasis on their initial actions in office. What they do first sets them on their course, and – importantly – declares their intentions for their term of office. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli’s first action in office was to write to the state’s public service and invite them to be part
- [Seamless transition from poetry to prose](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/11/seamless-transition-from-poetry-to-prose/) - It was former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo, another son of Italian immigrants, writing in the New Republic magazine in 1985 who coined the phrase, “You campaign in poetry, you govern in prose”. The Italian American understood something often overlooked by many political leaders: the clear and necessary distinction between campaigning and governing. It’s all
- [Re-engaging Regional Queensland ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/11/re-engaging-regional-queensland/) - There will be many explanations provided for why Labor lost the Queensland election, including the difficulties in securing a fourth consecutive term in government and a perception that the issues of law and order and hospital ramping remain unresolved, to name just a few. I suspect it’s a combination of all of the above. As
- [The Trend is Your Friend… Take 2](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/the-trend-is-your-friend-take-2/) - While many politicians will be quick to say a state election result has no implications for a federal poll, rest assured that behind the scenes, there are very active discussions about what Saturday’s result means for next year’s contest. Both sides walk away with reasons to be encouraged, which speaks to a larger question –
- [The power of momentum](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/the-power-of-momentum/) - Regular readers of The Inside Word might have worked out that I often like to start a blog post with a political truism. This blog is no different, and the political adage this week is a simple one: “The trend is your friend!” Usually, it’s offered as advice to nervous MPs or candidates who are desperately scanning opinion polls
- [BUSY Group Launches Its Ninth School in Queensland](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/busy-group-launches-its-ninth-school-in-queensland/) - The BUSY Group recently opened its ninth specialised assistance school in Queensland, provide an opportunity for more students in years 11 and 12 who are disengaged or at risk of disengaging from their education to re-engage with it. The BUSY School’s new Ipswich campus has a maximum capacity of 256 students, with enrolments increasing daily as
- [The SAS Groups Guide to Navigating Caretaker Mode](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/the-sas-groups-guide-to-navigating-caretaker-mode/) - On Tuesday, 1 October 2024, the Queensland state government officially entered caretaker mode as preparations for the upcoming election ramp up. This period, which begins 26 days prior to the election, is designed to ensure that government operations remain neutral and do not unduly influence the electoral process. For businesses and organisations in Queensland that work
- [The New Significant Minority](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/the-new-significant-minority/) - With only four sitting weeks remaining for the federal parliament this year, there’s little time to tackle a packed agenda before the customary January lull. As Australia settles into the quieter period leading up to January 26th, political attention will increasingly turn toward a significant year of elections. The next federal election is due by
- [The new face of election campaigning](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/the-new-face-of-election-campaigning/) - There's an old saying in political campaigning that half the money you spend on advertising is completely wasted, but you can never tell which half. That's because a large number of voters have already made up their minds and won't be swayed by the campaign. While television advertising, for example, will run until the pre-election blackout
- [Albo’s Pincered: On Politics, Policy, and Palestine](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/albos-pincered-on-politics-policy-and-palestine/) - As missiles rain down in the Middle East and the drumbeat of a wider war escalates, a similar political storm threatens the survival of the Albanese Government. The ALP is facing a perfect storm as a barrage of political missiles from the left and right targets its policies and stance on Palestine. All of this
- [Cudgen Connection Project to be Submitted for Gateway Determination](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/10/cudgen-connection-project-to-be-submitted-for-gateway-determination/) - In early 2021, the SAS Group began supporting the $300 million Cudgen Connection ‘Cudgen’ project with a rezoning application for its 5.7-hectare site on the NSW Tweed Coast. The precinct, located adjacent to the new Tweed Valley Hospital and near Kingscliff TAFE, will include a new university campus, essential worker and community housing, private hospital,
- [My Boring Superpower.](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/my-boring-superpower/) - My kids are in early-primary-school and we recently played ‘If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be?’. They were desperate for me to reply: “x-ray vision!” or “supersonic flight!”, but I let them down with: “Time travel. I’d go back in time and cancel social media.” They looked at me
- [Leadership and landmines](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/leadership-and-landmines/) - State Parliament sat for just three days in August. Amid the usual exchange of barbs and jibes, the State Government introduced and passed three Bills, each establishing a Commissioner. Perhaps only of interest to political or governance nerds, these pieces of legislation do more than just establish statutory authorities. They further demonstrate the fracturing of
- [Stick season arrives for Queensland politics](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/stick-season-arrives-for-queensland-politics/) - One of my favourite songs at the moment is Stick Season, by the US artist Noah Kahan, which takes its name from the late autumn/early winter when the leaves have fallen in his home state of Vermont. He describes it as “a really miserable time of year when it’s just kind of grey and cold". As
- [Let’s all calm the farm](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/lets-all-calm-the-farm/) - It was sold as a panacea, a silver bullet. Four-year parliamentary terms in Queensland would ensure stability and foster long term policy development. It would maximise secure, predictable governance for public servants, business, and the community. The then Premier, a litany of academics and the commentariat all espoused the virtues of longer parliamentary terms punctuated
- [Love thy neighbour](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/love-thy-neighbour/) - Journalists should be professional fence sitters, gathering and presenting unbiased facts so audiences can make up their own mind about the world around them. But what happens when an ex-journo goes to the ‘dark side’ and joins a consultancy like the SAS Group? It might surprise clients to know that many remain ‘Switzerland’, and this
- [Preparation and execution - the keys to success](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/preparation-and-execution-the-keys-to-success/) - Navigating the wilderness and dealing with government have a lot in common, as you may discover when Queensland changes government on October 26 and we face a federal election next year. Federally, if Labor is re-elected, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will have to form a minority government with the Teals or, God forbid, the Greens.
- [Federal Politics: Five insights from a turbulent month](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/09/federal-politics-five-insights-from-a-turbulent-month/) - SAS Group director Bernie Ripoll called last month’s federal climate "the winter of voters’ discontent." From our perspective, the political winter is still well and truly here a month later. Federal politics has the Prime Minister caught in a whirlwind of over a dozen issues. To give you a taste, we have GDP growth, inflation,
- [Experts issue alert for impending outbreak of candidate-itis](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/08/experts-issue-alert-for-impending-outbreak-of-candidate-itis/) - There’s a little-known but widespread pandemic that can overtake small sections of the population every three to four years. The most common warning signs of candidate-itis are feverish activity, difficulty sleeping, and permanently high anxiety levels. While there is no known treatment, the condition is demonstrated to end abruptly after election day. The SAS Group
- [The winter of voters’ discontent](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/08/the-winter-of-voters-discontent/) - Winter is traditionally a time to hibernate and take things a little slower. The sun is up later, as we are, and sets earlier. In politics, the winter break is normally a time to slow the pace, with politicians to be in their electorates and at home if not on an overseas delegation. But this
- [2024 State Politics update - July](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/08/2024-state-politics-update-july/) - We find ourselves at the precipice of a heated and scrappy campaign, but for now, there is an eerie calm before the campaign proper starts. This gives you plenty of time to read our election brief, setting the scene for October’s poll. July saw the annual budget estimates take place, with the Opposition taking up
- [Team of Rivals](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/07/team-of-rivals/) - I tend to do people’s heads in. It’s mostly unintentional, but sometimes for fun. I’m an Anglican priest and have been politically active since I was a kid. I grew up in the bush but have become urbanised with a ridiculous coffee order. I am a graduate of journalism, political science, theology, and the Australian
- [“Winter has come” for the Albanese Government](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/07/winter-has-come-for-the-albanese-government/) - This period during the winter recess of Parliament can be a tough time for incumbent governments, particularly when its less than a year out from a federal election. During this time governments should be clearing the decks for an election, be right on message, and out every day selling its achievements. For the Albanese Government, this
- [2024 June State Politics Update](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/06/2024-june-state-politics-update/) - If the four-year election cycle were a horse race, we are now entering the final straight. David Crisafulli and his horse hold a commanding lead. It’s Steven Miles' first time in the saddle and he’s behind but he’s riding a horse with a track record of winning state elections. The recent budget had every spending
- [Baton Change before the Paris Olympics](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/06/baton-change-before-the-paris-olympics/) - It is with great pleasure that I announce my long-term business partner Malcolm Cole will be assuming the role of Managing Director of the SAS Group from 1st July. The time is right for a baton change, and Malcolm will do a terrific job leading our team to the next level of service and trust, in
- [If you don’t define yourself, you will be defined](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/06/if-you-dont-define-yourself-you-will-be-defined/) - Never is it truer than in the art of politics. Peter Dutton’s first-strike nuclear energy plan and the economic fallout of rising inflation is causing rising tensions in the Government. Even the welcome release of WikiLeaks founder and former fugitive Julian Assange was not enough to distract the media from the reality that inflation was
- [Queensland swings late and swings hard](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/06/queensland-swings-late-and-swings-hard/) - As Queensland moves towards the State Election on October 26, the State’s politicians, political parties and compulsory preferential voting system are bound to come under intense scrutiny. But what about the behaviour of voters themselves? One of the peculiar aspects of Queensland’s voting patterns is that expected electoral tidal waves tend to form (or dissipate)
- [Climate Wars - an inconvenient truth](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/06/climate-wars-an-inconvenient-truth/) - An Inconvenient Truth was a documentary produced by former US Vice President Al Gore in 2006. In 2007, he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (along with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) for ‘highlighting the link they see between the risk of accelerating climate change and the risk of violent conflict and wars’. In many
- [Handle With Gloves](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/06/handle-with-gloves/) - I am not a political junkie. I am a marketing, branding, and comms operator with a family, career, small business, optimism for a decent social life, and a yearning for an hour in the day just for me. At the SAS Group, I spend my days with many lovable political junkies, and to say I
- [State Politics Update - May 2024](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/state-politics-update-may-2024/) - We’re less than two weeks out from the State Budget and less than 150 days from the October 26 election. After a messy April, the month of May saw the Miles Government stabilise much of the media cycle and occasionally lead the debate with policies that caught the eye of voters. The release of two
- [Federal Budget guide to the future](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/federal-budget-guide-to-the-future/) - The lead up to any federal budget is filled with anticipation and hope that some sort of economic miracle will be revealed. Taxes down … cash rebates up … spending in every portfolio … all while magically reducing debt and driving down inflation. The media, commentators and the political class perpetuate the ‘miracle budget’ myth,
- [What is Australia's future made of?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/whats-australias-future-made-of/) - Not as many international students at universities, TAFEs and private vocational colleges - that’s for certain. In response to intense political and community pressure over the spiralling housing crisis, the Albanese Government has decided it will reduce the number of international students coming to Australia. Labor aims to slash Net Overseas Migration (NOM) from 528,000
- [Planning for unplanned media success](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/05/planning-for-unplanned-media-success/) - Opportunities in business – or in life, for that matter – rarely come along at the perfect time, or in the perfect form. The greatest success stories – such as the chance discovery of penicillin or the accidental invention of removable “post-it” notes – are often completely unplanned. This can also be true of securing
- [Feeling Vs thinking](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/06/feeling-vs-thinking/) - Facts matter and the truth can hurt, but that shouldn’t stop individuals, leaders, businesses and institutions from dealing with the realities of life. As Homo sapiens (Latin ‘wise human’), our big brains enable us to think and feel at greater depth than any other animal. Humankind has achieved extraordinary highs and abominable lows, but the impact of technology
- [When being bold is your only path to power ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/when-being-bold-is-your-only-path-to-power/) - “I’d rather lose by 10 points going for the win than lose by one point and look back and say 'we should have gone for the win’.” The above quote is from former Republican adviser, Steve Schmidt, to Senator John McCain in the lead up to the 2008 US Presidential election, advising that he should
- [Agree or disagree?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/agree-or-disagree/) - Whether you agree or disagree with the proposed Future Made in Australia Act, it has given the Prime Minister a fast, and much-needed change in narrative. Two years into the nominal three-year term, the Prime Minister desperately needs a boost. The Prime Minister’s net approval rating is in negative territory and the polls have the ALP ahead
- [2024 April Federal Politics Update](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/2024-april-federal-politics-update/) - The Albanese Government finds itself, less than two weeks ahead of the budget, beset by a whirlwind of pressures that are straining its ability to present a narrative of its priorities and its vision for the future. This is all the more important given we are about 12 months out, or less, from the next
- [2024 April State Politics Update](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/2024-april-state-politics-update/) - She’s 24 next week. I’ve got a year to go. As a young father I nursed my daughter for the first time, looked into her little eyes and set a goal: C.J. 25. Using her first and middle initials, C.J. 25 was my vision for my first born and would shape the kind of parent
- [Best to put the cart before the horse: The importance of agribusiness yarns in shaping policy](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/best-to-put-the-cart-before-the-horse-the-importance-of-agribusiness-yarns-in-shaping-policybest-to-put-the-cart-before-the-horse/) - In the vast expanse of Queensland's agricultural landscape, powerful stories are woven within the fabric of agribusinesses. These stories not only depict the toil and triumph of farmers but also capture the challenges and opportunities that define the industry. Yet, beyond the paddocks and pastures, lies a realm where these narratives hold immense power: the
- [The right people in the right places](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/05/the-right-people-in-the-right-places/) - One of the great and lasting strengths of the SAS Group has been its determinedly bipartisan operating model. Most government relations consultancies tend to have connections into one side of politics or the other. Since its inception, the SAS Group has always had a former Coalition and a former Labor Minister among its directors, and an
- [Levelling the playing field](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/04/levelling-the-playing-field/) - Small and medium businesses across Australia will no doubt be cheering the news that the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) will get the power to block serial acquisitions and those that entrench the market power of big players. In our experience, many smaller players have felt complete powerless under current competition laws and view the
- [BUSY puts Australia's future first](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/busy-puts-australias-future-first/) - In 1855, American social reformer and abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke his now famous words, "it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." Whilst he said this in dialogue with white slave owners about the immortality of slavery, he could very well have said those same words to describe the importance of education
- [Navigating Public Affairs: The Vital Role of Marketing and Branding](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/navigating-public-affairs-the-vital-role-of-marketing-and-branding/) - If you’ve been in business for more than 2 minutes, you know the magic of marketing is the difference between good and great. Ask some of the biggest and most successful brands in the world how they got there, and it’s guaranteed their leaders will credit the artistry of their marketing teams as much as the
- [2024 State Politics Update - March](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/2024-state-politics-update-march/) - March 16 was a key date in the calendar with Queensland local government elections held alongside two key state seat by-elections of Ipswich West and Inala. The Ipswich West by-election occurred due to the resignation of the ALP’s Jim Madden. The Inala by-election was the result of the resignation of former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk after
- [All Politicians are the same!](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/all-politicians-are-the-same/) - It’s often remarked that politicians are all the same. I remember well when there was little difference between the major parties on critical issues of defence and border protection, possibly to avoid creating a wedge on these matters, particularly before an election. Sometimes this should be the case, and for good reason. But we shouldn’t let this
- [Happy Easter!](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/happy-easter/) - Alleluia, Federal Parliament will rise for Easter. MPs and senators will welcome the well-earned break, spending the recess in their constituencies or, if you’re the Treasurer, finalising the budget due on the 14th of May. For the religious, Good Friday and Easter Sunday hold special significance. For Prime Minister Albanese and the ALP Government, they will
- [The Labour Productivity Cliff](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/the-labour-productivity-cliff/) - It’s the great contradiction in the Australian political debate at the moment. While all sides of politics are desperate to lift incomes and ease the cost-of-living crisis, most of our political leaders seem to be ignoring a key factor in that equation. Labour productivity for the whole economy fell by 3.7 per cent in 2022-23 compared to growth of 1.6
- [Populism and reality – A path to sustainable energy policy in Australia](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/populism-and-reality-a-path-to-sustainable-energy-policy-in-australia/) - Australia’s energy policy journey continues to be at the forefront of political debate. Whether it is proposing nuclear power or the slow down of major renewable energy projects, there is work to do and time is ticking. While it is convenient to lay the blame for the state of energy policy at the feet of
- [Preventing interview debacles](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/preventing-interview-debacles/) - Photo caption: Woolworths' Brad Banducci walking out of ABC Four Corners interview The poor performance of Woolworths’ and Coles’ CEOs on ABC’s recent Four Corners program about supermarket prices were a public manifestation of appalling preparation by their media advisors. Coles’ Leah Weckert and Woolworths’ Brad Banducci, along with their respective media advisors, should have anticipated
- [NRL to Vegas, politicians to Dunkley.](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/nrl-to-vegas-politicians-to-dunkley/) - Peter V’landys, the head of the National Rugby League (NRL) is hoping to make history, taking the game to Las Vegas expecting to crack the US’s lucrative Broadcasting market. Meanwhile, at home, a very different battle is shaping up in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. This Saturday the gladiator sport of politics will be fought
- [What do you do? ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/02/what-do-you-do/) - I am often asked this question. Once an answer is offered, 'what is government relations?' or 'what is media management?' is usually the follow up. So instead of an industry buzz word or abstract concept, let me show you what we do through the lens of our team’s activities in the past month. Amid national
- [State Politics Update – March 2024](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/state-politics-update-march-2024/) - February was a big month for Queensland State Politics and March is expected to be somewhat subdued. Political parties are focusing almost all attention on the local government elections on March 16, which puts state government politics on the back burner, at least for the first half of the month. Two key state by-elections (Inala
- [Paying it forward so others can soldier on](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/paying-it-forward-so-others-can-soldier-on/) - While many may think of the SAS Group as a very experienced government relations and media consultancy, many of us have other skills that we practice outside of the organisation, which are not necessarily promoted on our calling card. One of those skills is mentoring. Last week, I was honoured once again to be chosen
- [Politics is a numbers game](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/02/politics-is-a-numbers-game/) - 2024 could be called “election year” across Australia, with Tasmania (March 23), the Northern Territory (August 24), the Australian Capital Territory (October 19), and Queensland (October 26) all heading off to the polls, as are the good residents of the Federal electorate of Dunkley (March 2). Right now, Tasmania is the only state or territory
- [Tax cuts, cost-of-living, housing and by-elections](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/03/tax-cuts-cost-of-living-housing-and-by-elections/) - The recent Newspoll results identified that 62 per cent of voters believe the Prime Minister did the right thing in redirecting more of the Stage 3 tax cuts relief to lower-and-middle-income earners. The upcoming Dunkley by-election on the 2nd of March will provide the first electoral opportunity to measure community sentiment post-referendum, with polls suggesting the
- [Rome wasn’t built in a day - or three years!](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/02/rome-wasnt-built-in-a-day-or-three-years/) - I had the privilege of recently attending the annual Conexus Financial Superannuation Chair’s Forum with the Chairs of Australia’s biggest and most significant superannuation funds. The superannuation industry now holds over AUD$3.6 trillion (that’s a very big number - $3,600,000,000,000.00) of our national savings in the form of super and will grow to be about AUD$5.2
- [China Chamber Event Wrap Up](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/12/china-chamber-event-wrap-up/) - Last week’s China Chamber 2023 AGM was highly successful. About 200 people attended the Canberra event from major cities across Australia on Monday, the fourth of December. Ambassador Xiao Qian, the Hon Kevin Hogan MP and David Smith MP all made speeches, which highlighted the importance of bilateral trade and its importance in improving the
- [State Politics Update 2024](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/02/state-politics-update-2024/) - While the starter gun won't be fired for months, state politics in Queensland has kicked-off the year on an election footing. The Miles Government has a slight spring in its step, enjoying the spike in public support that usually follows a leadership change. The Crisafulli Opposition is doubling down on the discipline displayed in 2023,
- [The Two Elephants in the Room](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/02/the-two-elephants-in-the-room/) - A lot can change over the Christmas break, on top of the long road back to full productivity for what is traditionally a “slow” January, until post the Australia Day long weekend. It’s time off well-deserved for Australians working hard all year, or even if it's just a celebratory mood that lingers for those who
- [In the business of relationships](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/02/in-the-business-of-relationships/) - Xin Nian Kuai Le - Happy New Year! Last night, SAS Group China Director Victoria Qiu and I had the pleasure of being guests at Chinese New Year celebrations hosted by Dr Ruan Zongze Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Brisbane. The event hosted 400 Chinese community and business leaders, the Queensland Governor, the Deputy
- [Qld Cabinet refresh may decide two elections](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/12/qld-cabinet-refresh-may-decide-two-elections/) - The change of leader and cabinet in any government is a big deal. It’s a change of people, culture and, perhaps, fortune. Labor’s new Queensland leader, Premier Steven Miles, has started well with a renewed front bench and a clever sidestep on the 2032 Olympic Games. Premier Miles has effectively reshaped his government (see the
- [Basil’s “Fawlty Towers” start to state political career](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/01/basils-fawlty-towers-start-to-state-political-career/) - It’s the oldest pitfall in modern politics – failing to remember the golden rule that “the microphone is always on”. The latest victim is would-be West Australian Liberal MP Basil Zempilas who was caught on a hot mic seemingly referring to women’s tennis at the Australian Open as “reserve grade”. Basil, while a novice to
- [Summer is sizzling, let’s talk nuclear](https://sasgroup.net.au/2024/01/summer-is-sizzling-lets-talk-nuclear/) - With temperatures climbing across Australia and another cyclone on the way, is it any wonder energy consumption is skyrocketing, putting the electricity grid under pressure? Much like post-Christmas credit card shock, the next shock will come when the exorbitant power bill turns up, as folk clamor to turn on the air conditioners in escape of
- [Is the Government losing its way?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/12/is-the-government-losing-its-way/) - There is a quote “Leadership is the art of disappointing people at a rate they can stand”. It makes you wonder if the Australian PM is testing this thesis. The recent Referendum loss, the bungled immigration detainee release and the ever-climbing cost-of-living has fuelled leadership disappointment not only inside the ALP caucus but the public
- [3.7 per cent is still a beautiful number](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/12/3-7-per-cent-is-still-a-beautiful-number/) - Historically low unemployment rates have been a boon for the Federal Budget – more people working increases the tax take and means less welfare support. October saw a rise from 3.6 per cent to 3.7 per cent. That’s still a very good figure, but it does mean an extra 27,000 people are unemployed in the lead up
- [Apollo cares and now Australia knows it too](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/12/apollo-cares-and-now-australia-knows-it-too/) - A year ago, Apollo Care asked the SAS Group for communications and media support. The aged care Approved Provider was two years old, had a highly experienced executive team, disruptive operational and financial models, owned seven regional aged care communities, and had several key goals, all of which pivot on reputation. Apollo Care wanted to
- [Shifting Voter dynamics and next Federal Election ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/12/shifting-voter-dynamics-and-next-federal-election/) - Earlier this year I presented insights from the three key 2022 Federal Election reviews. Eighteen months into the Federal Parliamentary term, it’s worth assessing long-term trends that impact the coming election and beyond. The foremost trends to watch are party voting according to education and income. At the May 2022 Federal Election, the Labor
- [Insights from the 2022 Federal Election](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/01/insights-from-the-2022-federal-election/) - The end of 2022 was a goldmine for political enthusiasts as three key reviews of the 2022 Federal Election were released. The first was the independent study conducted by the Australian National University and the other two were the Labor and Liberal reviews respectively. In total, I have scanned through 325 pages of research and
- [It’s the economy stupid](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/11/its-the-economy-stupid/) - This phrase was coined in 1992 by James Carville when he was advising Bill Clinton on his successful run for the White House, and it might be haunting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he returns from international globe-trotting to a touchy Australian economy. On 2 November, newly-minted Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock wasted no time
- [November State Politics update](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/11/november-state-politics-update/) - You can almost smell it. You can certainly feel it. Election vibes have begun to permeate the halls of power in Queensland state politics. Conjecture in the media adds to this, but only because there’s something to report. SAS Group advisors are in and out of government, ministerial and corporate offices every day with our
- [Why is Pickleball suddenly so hot and what does it tell us about business?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/11/why-is-pickleball-suddenly-so-hot-and-what-does-it-tell-us-about-business/) - Easy to learn, hard to master – that’s Pickleball, the racquet sport currently exploding in popularity in Australia. It’s suddenly all over social and mainstream media, most recently as the late Friends actor Matthew Perry was an avid rookie who played Pickleball the morning of his death. Pickleball has a low barrier to entry and,
- [Bundaberg Queensland - “Booming one day, perfect opportunity the next”](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/10/bundaberg-queensland-booming-one-day-perfect-opportunity-the-next/) - Queensland is booming. Our unemployment is lower than any other state. We have a long list of government infrastructure projects underway, including Cross River Rail, the Brisbane Metro project, and upgrades to the Bruce Highway and M1, and of course the crown jewel 2032 Olympics to keep us rolling forward over the next decade and
- [Threading the eye of the needle ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/10/threading-the-eye-of-the-needle/) - Prime Minister Albanese will need to tap into all his guile and diplomatic skills to thread the political needle if he is to regain momentum before the year is out. Since the Referendum, the Prime Minister and the Government have taken a major hit with the Australian public voting a resounding NO for a Voice
- [State Politics Update - October](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/10/state-politics-update-october/) - Queensland's political landscape has picked up pace as we witness key preselection outcomes and retirements. Stirling Hinchcliffe, the Minister for Tourism, Innovation and Sport, and five other MPs have announced their retirement ahead of the upcoming election. Retirement announcements are likely to continue given the new four-year fixed term election cycle, which makes it more
- [The plan is 'Business As Usual'](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/10/the-plan-is-business-as-usual/) - It was no coincidence that just after the Voice defeat we have seen major positive announcements by the Government to pivot the narrative away from the loss. Straight up on Monday morning after the referendum, Prime Minister Albanese and Skills and Training Minster Brendan O’Connor announced the National Skills Agreement, a 5-year joint agreement between
- [Titan Telecoms](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/10/titan-telecoms/) - Every now and then you meet a group of people who are exceptional at what they do. It’s not often that I use this forum to highlight the virtues of a client however I am on this occasion because they are truly worthy of their success. Titan Telecoms is a privately owned innovative, cutting-edge telecommunications
- [Asia-Pacific Cities Summit, Brisbane 2023 – Racing to the Games](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/10/asia-pacific-cities-summit-brisbane-2023-racing-to-the-games/) - In a post-COVID world, in-person events have changed enormously, and it takes something special and unique for the masses to flock in one place. Pulling said masses from a raft of international cities and regions requires something even more significant. The Asia-Pacific Cities Summit and Mayor’s Forum 2023, held in Brisbane from October 11-13, nailed
- [The Contest](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/the-contest/) - The contest of sport is deeply rooted in the Australian psyche, no more so than at this football grand final time of year. Two deeply combatant teams compete for a position of supremacy after a season of hard work. We share the pre-game excitement, the intensity of game-day, the exuberance of the winning team and
- [The Future is reliant on consensus](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/the-future-is-reliant-on-consensus/) - A fascination with the future is something we all share wittingly or otherwise. We all want to know the weather on the weekend, who will win the footy or who is most likely to win the next election. It’s hard wired in us, this desire to know the future and be one step ahead of
- [Master Electricians Australia Conference 2023 ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/master-electricians-australia-conference-2023/) - The SAS Group is blessed to have great clients, many of whom have been with us for a very long time. Master Electricians Australia (MEA) has been with us since we established back in 2009. MEA’s annual conference this year was held in Queenstown, New Zealand. The conference had a strong focus on the rapid
- [State Politics Update - September](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/state-politics-update-september/) - The recent sole sitting week in September showcased the tensions on both sides as we move closer to the October 2024 election. The Premier, back from leave, was looking to regain standing after media scrutiny while the Opposition was preparing to capitalise on the leadership rumblings. Given the events in August, the Premier sought to
- [It’s time for our leadership to create a vision we can rally around.](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/its-time-for-our-leadership-to-create-a-vision-we-can-rally-around/) - Truly great leadership provides guidance, inspiration, and motivation. Great leaders help create vision and rally people around a common cause. When politicians work across party lines to get things done, the community benefits. When the opposite occurs, we all lose, and voters’ faith in our political system lessens a little. When this happens consistently, our ‘democracy’
- [Why is the very department that is meant to lift veterans up letting us down?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/why-is-the-very-department-that-is-meant-to-lift-veterans-up-letting-us-down/) - Too much talk and not enough action! This is just one of the many damning observations from the Chair of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. Commissioner Nick Kaldas, a former deputy commissioner of the NSW Police Force, took the unorthodox approach of appearing at the National Press Club recently, in what appeared
- [The Future is Yours - 2023 Inter-Generational Report](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/the-future-is-yours-2023-inter-generational-report/) - American President Abraham Lincoln understood something about the challenges that lay ahead for his country and said that “The most reliable way to predict the future is to create it. And so it should still be today for the Federal Government through its Treasury generated Inter-Generational Report (IGR). Started by Peter Costello under the Howard
- [Why AI is no threat to creativity](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/09/why-ai-is-no-threat-to-creativity/) - Australia has a long tradition of story-telling bush poets – from Banjo Paterson to Henry Lawson, PJ Hartigan and Dorothea Mackellar. The list is long and distinguished. Recently, I was lucky enough to be at a lunch event where the speakers included some of Australia’s finest modern balladeers – Murray Hartin, whose extraordinary Rain From
- [Apollo Care redefines Rocky's ageing community](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/apollo-care-redefines-rockys-ageing-community/) - If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime … and if you give innovative industry veterans a challenge, they create a fishing fleet. Last week, the first of 10 affordable housing cottages for women aged over 55
- [Will Australians really be 40 per cent poorer by 2063? ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/will-australians-really-be-40-per-cent-poorer-by-2063/) - Last month I commented on the importance of lifting productivity up the priority list for governments and industry across Australia – if we are to retain and improve our living standards. Treasurer Jim Chalmers has reported that Australians will be 40 per cent poorer by 2063 if the federal government is unable to turnaround lacklustre
- [Don’t forget the Teals if you’re pushing for Tax reform  ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/dont-forget-the-teals-if-youre-pushing-for-tax-reform/) - Controlling the economic narrative is crucial if governments are to maintain political momentum. The challenge with The Voice Referendum, set for the 14th of October, is that the Albanese Government’s policy agenda will be drowned out by an election style campaign, Yes or No for the next 6 weeks. Current polling indicates the referendum will fail with potentially three
- [The ‘sensible centre’](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/the-sensible-centre/) - The term ‘sensible centre’ is often used by politicians to describe their view of where best to position their party in politics, somewhere between left and right, or extreme and moderate; a position that the majority of Australians would support on important issues. Former Prime Minister’s Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull both used the term
- [Democracy by any other name](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/democracy-by-any-other-name/) - Appropriately and famously on November 11, 1947 (Remembrance Day) in the House of Commons Winston Churchill said that: “Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst
- [Cheers to a job well done](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/cheers-to-a-job-well-done/) - Nothing says hospitality like a well-timed drinks cart, as SAS Group client, the Queensland Cricketers’ Club, understands so well. Ballymore was well and truly back on the weekend with the QCC providing corporate and on-ground hospitality services as part of their expanded offering as the QCC Group. Gates at the new National Rugby Training Centre
- [August 2023 State Politics Update](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/08/august-2023-state-politics-update/) - Queensland's political landscape is heating up, with rumours of a leadership change setting the stage for an intense 2024. The Government weathered a rough week, clearly needing to regain its footing. While news stories abound of imminent change, we think you should settle down and expect these rumblings to continue for months. As August unfolded,
- [In media relationships, risk equals untold reward](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/04/in-media-relationships-risk-equals-untold-reward/) - For a communications professional, there is possibly no harder assignment than an organisation with a strong risk-averse culture. Sticking to stringent policies and procedures is the only way to ensure an outcome. There is a right way of doing things, and there’s a wrong way. Unfortunately, the environment that external communications professionals operate in is
- [Stalking horse – Super Profits Tax on the way?](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/07/stalking-horse-super-profits-tax-on-the-way/) - “When the government changes the country changes,” famously said by former PM Paul Keating in 1996 prior to the Howard landslide. Never have these words been truer, as the Albanese Government drives its agenda across the whole gamut of economic, cultural, and institutional reform underpinning Australian society. With Federal Parliament resuming next week don’t be
- [July State Politics Update](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/07/july-state-politics-update/) - August is shaping up to be a fiery month for Queensland Parliament, with two weeks of Budget Estimates Hearings ahead of sittings resuming next week, providing a tangible opportunity for the Opposition to get departmental data from critical areas such as housing and health. The context for these sitting-weeks includes the AFR’s reporting of a state
- [In a crisis, prepare for the worst, and climb down from there](https://sasgroup.net.au/2022/10/in-a-crisis-prepare-for-the-worst-and-climb-down-from-there/) - During a crisis the world is turned upside down and normal rules don’t apply.
- [Fight for tolerance for those with whom we don’t agree](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/07/fight-for-tolerance-for-those-with-whom-we-dont-agree/) - The French Philosopher Voltaire was born in 1694 and came up with ideas about freedom of speech, tolerance, reason, and freedom of religious belief. He fought to make sure people were tolerant and accepted everyone as they were. Voltaire it seems did not want individuals who were different to be persecuted. He also believed that there
- [Interest rates vs productivity rates](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/07/interest-rates-vs-productivity-rates/) - Does anyone remember an occasion when there was so much attention given to NOT renewing the employment contract of a senior public servant? Dr Philip Lowe, Governor of the Reserve Bank, will complete his term on the 17th of September this year, following an extraordinary period of public media reporting and political speculation. For most of
- [Integrity matters! Take responsibility. ](https://sasgroup.net.au/2023/07/integrity-matters-take-responsibility/) - A quick google of the word integrity comes up with 5 personal attributes: values-focused, honest, considerate, exemplary character, and accountable. Does integrity matter in public administration? You bet! The very covenant that solidifies our trust in the Westminster System has been sorely tested by the damning findings from the Royal Commission’s investigation into the Robodebt
- [In a crisis, prepare for the worst, and climb down from there](https://sasgroup.net.au/2022/10/in-a-crisis-prepare-for-the-worst-and-climb-down-from-there/) - During a crisis the world is turned upside down and normal rules don’t apply.

## Pages

- [Home](https://sasgroup.net.au/)
- [SAS IMPACT](https://sasgroup.net.au/home/sasimpact/) - Social impact organisations operate in complex environments shaped by policy, market pressures, institutional design and social conditions. To achieve meaningful and measurable outcomes, they must work across sectors and systems - engaging government to influence policy, aligning capital to outcomes, and demonstrating impact and accountability. SAS Impact works at this nexus of government, capital and
- [Terms and Conditions of Service](https://sasgroup.net.au/terms-and-conditions-of-service/) - The following are the SAS Group’s standard terms and conditions of engagement. They are provided for information purposes only, and do not form any part of our contract with clients. We reserve the right to vary these terms in individual client agreements. Your contract of engagement will contain the terms and conditions specific to your engagement.
- [Meet the team](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/)
- [SAS32](https://sasgroup.net.au/home/sas32/) - The 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a generational opportunity for businesses from around the South East Queensland region, and around the world. Australia will host the Games for the third time in Olympic history and second in Paralympic history, placing Brisbane at the centre of global attention – not just for two weeks but
- [Contact](https://sasgroup.net.au/contact/)
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- [我们的团队](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/)
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- [Who We Are](https://sasgroup.net.au/about-us/)
- [Services](https://sasgroup.net.au/services/)
- [The Inside Word](https://sasgroup.net.au/news/)
- [Terms of Use](https://sasgroup.net.au/terms-of-use/) - SAS GROUP WEBSITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS 11 October 2022 Application, variation and termination of these Terms and Conditions These Terms and Conditions govern the website operated and provided by SAS Consulting Group Pty Ltd (ABN 33 136 520 548) (SAS Group). Any use of SAS Group’s website by you constitutes acceptance of these Terms and
- [Privacy](https://sasgroup.net.au/privacy/) - SAS GROUP WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY 11 October 2022 SAS Consulting Group Pty Ltd (ABN 33 136 520 548) is a leading government relations and media advisory in Australia. References to "SAS Group", "we", "us" and "our" in this Privacy Policy refer to SAS Consulting Group Pty Ltd. SAS Group is bound by the Privacy Act
- [Terms of Use](https://sasgroup.net.au/terms-of-use/) - SAS 集团网站条款 2022年十月11日 该条款的适用、变更和终止SAS 咨询集团有限责任公司 (ABN 33 136 520 548)(简称SAS集团)的网站受制于该条款。对SAS集团网站的任何使用均构成对该条款的接受。SAS集团可在任何时间，自行决定更改、改变或修改该条款，并无需提前通知任何方。该网站条款的更改立即生效。要是您在更改后使用我们的网站，将构成您对更改和对更改前的条款的接受。SAS集团可在任何时候，无需提前通知，终止或暂停该网站或网站的任何部分。隐私SAS集团接收到的任何个人信息，将根据SAS集团隐私政策进行收集和透露。（隐私政策时常更新。更新版请按此链接）免责声明和责任虽然SAS集团竭尽诚意提供该网站及其内容，但对网站的内容或材料，包括准确性、完整性、真实性、可靠性或及时性，不承担任何责任或义务；SAS集团不确保或保障我们的网站、从或通过我们网站获得的任何文件不含有有害的代码、电脑病毒或其它瑕疵；在法律允许的范畴内，针对我们网站或任何同我们网站链接的网站的任何信息或材料，SAS集团明确排除所有条款和保证（包括适销性、对知识产权的非侵权或针对某一特殊目的的其它权力或适用性）, 担保，权益和补偿， 责任以及风俗、法令或不成文法所隐含的条款； 以及 SAS集团对您遭受的任何间接损失不负责任（包括营销收入或利润，可预期存款损失， 数字损失，设备价值损失，任何监管部门的惩罚或罚金，和任何非直接损失）。也对您因使用我们网站或任何与之相链接的网站的任何信息或材料而产生的任何成本，损害赔偿，费用，损失或收费不负责任。知识产权我们网站内容的知识产权（包括版权， 商标权），根据任何第三方权利， 归属于SAS集团。SAS集团公司标识和图标为SAS咨询集团有限责任公司的商标，注册于澳大利亚。我们网站所含的任何部分都不能被解释为是向网站任何内容的使用授予许可。在未经许可的情况下，您不得使用、复制或修改我们网站所展示的任何内容， 包括SAS集团的标识或商标。您不可以将我们网站的内推据为己有。这包括使用将我们网站“构建”在另一个网站里，以及复制和重复使用我们网站的部分内容。SAS集团网站的内容和其它刊物的内容均受版权保护。在未书面向SAS集团提出许可之前，这些刊物的任何部分不能以任何形式或通过任何方式进行重新复制、复印、储存、分发或发送， 含复印、扫描或其它机械或电子方式。 如需申请许可， 请提交查询。与其它网站链接我们的网站可能含有同其它网站的链接。对这些网站，SAS集团不授权批准或接受任何责任或义务。使用这些网站的任何风险， 将由您承担。链接我们网站的指南我们欢迎您链接我们的网站， 并建议您采用以下方式链接：请通常链接我们的首页http://www.sasgroup.net.au。 要是链接其它页面，可能会造成一些风险，因为这些页面或服务可能会被移动或不再存在。我们网页的正确名是SAS集团。SAS集团的标识极其不同版本属有版权限制的注册商标。只有经SAS集团的书面许可方能使用。我们网站的Cookies 和其它特征我们网站通过使用cookies来识别造访客人，收集统计信息，储存用户喜好，活动和每次造访段信息。SAS集团也通过使用cookies来提升安全，加强网站功能并改善服务。您对我们网站的使用， 确定了您认同在您的操作器上使用SAS集团cookies。 您可以在您的操作器上解除cookies。但是，这些装置的调整可影响我们网站的运作功能。储存在cookies里的信息可含： 您要求的网页或服务的识别；所使用的浏览器的类别或操作系统的类别；浏览的时间和日期； 以及您用于浏览我们网页的互联网地址。 Cookies不储存如下个人信息：您的名字邮件地址电话号码SAS集团使用第三方如谷歌的Analytics的网站分析和浏览段记录技术。 这些服务通过使用cookies来协助我们了解造访客人如何摄入和使用我们的网站。详情请查阅SAS集团的隐私政策（更新版如链接）。SAS集团也使用一种程序语言JavaScript来帮助我们网站的工作。要是您使用我们的网站，我们建议您的阅览器的设置中启动JavaScript。 管辖法律该条款和其之下的任何协议，都受澳大利亚昆士兰州法律管辖。 您和SAS集团不可撤回地和无条件地服从昆士兰州法庭的非专属管辖管辖。
- [Privacy](https://sasgroup.net.au/privacy/) - SAS 集团网站隐私政策 2022年10月11日 SAS 咨询集团有限责任公司 (ABN 33 136 520 548) 是澳大利亚政府关系和媒体公关领域的领军企业。此隐私政策里提到的所有"SAS 集团", "我们"(主语格式), "我们"（宾语格式） 和 "我们的"(所有格形式)均指的是SAS 咨询集团有限责任公司。 SAS 集团严格遵守更新版的澳联邦1988隐私条例(隐私条例)。该隐私条例含澳大利亚隐私准则（APPs）。隐私准则（APPs）旨在通过对个人信息的收集、使用、透露和管理等方面的规范，保护保密信息和个人隐私。个人信息，通常说来，是指与已被识别的、或很容易被识别的与个人相关的信息或观点， 不管这些信息真实与否，也不管这些信息是否已以任何形式记录下来。 以上政策对我们收集和保存的个人信息的类别、使用和分享人群做了说明。同时它也规定了当您对我们收集、使用或透露个人信息产生顾虑或您认为我们未能遵守隐私政策或隐私条例，您可如何联系我们。 您的同意 您对我们网络的浏览， 确认了您同意我们的隐私政策并同意根据该政策、隐私条例和其它相关隐私法律收集、使用和透露信息。 我们为什么收集个人信息？ 我们收集个人信息是出于我们的工作的需要，其中包括拓展、提供和改进我们的服务，出于验证的需要，我们需要了解我们与合作的人士的需求，同时履行我们的法律义务。 我们收集的个人信息的种类包括联系方式（如名字、邮件、邮寄地址、公司信息和其它介绍资料），评论，喜好，反馈，设备标识和用户数据（参阅Cookies, 分析和广告)。 我们收集个人信息的方式有多种，包括直接从您处获得，或您提供给我们或我们的中介公司、承包商或经销商。 例如如果， 在以下情况发生时，我们收集到您的信息： 当您使用我们的服务，向我们提供反馈，提交询问，为回应促销您提供您的细节，参与问卷或竞争，向我们申请工作，参与我们的管理活动，向我们提供服务，使用我们的网页，或聘用SAS 集团。 个人信息可能通过以下形式获得： 邮件，电话沟通，个人填写的表格（含网上的表格），反馈，询问，支持问询，问卷，竞争，网上用户原创内容，市场调研，视频会议，面对面会议以及采访。 我们有可能把我们从您处了解的信息同第三方得到的信息融合在一起，含我们的经销商，授权方和服务商。 有时候我们的工作需要我们收集敏感信息。细节请参阅以下 ‘敏感信息将收到更为严格的限制’。 Cookie, 分析和广告 SAS 集团通过是使用cookies 和设备标识符号去辨认网站访客，改进服务，收集统计信息和顾客群信息，提升安全，增强网站和应用软件的功能，以及在互联网和不同设备中显示SAS 集团的广告。 SAS 集团也使用第三方提供的网站分析和登录期记录技术，如谷歌分析和Hotjar。这些服务通过使用cookies 来帮助我们了解访客如何登录和使用我们的网站，网络商店和应用。 ‘Cookie’ 是一个小文件，它含有一个文字以识别您用于浏览我们网站的服务器。 您可以在任何时候选择退出SAS 集团使用的cookies,您需要做的仅是在您的浏览器里设定拒绝所有或一些浏览器cookies, 或在cookies 发送时给您一个提示。 如果您禁止或拒绝使用cookies，

## Services

- [Issues & Crisis Management](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/issues-crisis-management/) - Protect your integrity with a strategy that allows you control of any situation.
- [Strategic Marketing](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/strategic-marketing/) - Nail your objectives with a tailored marketing strategy that works as part of your overall business functions.
- [Policy & Research](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/policy-and-research/) - Contest or promote legislative issues or achieve regulatory outcomes through evidence-based policy and research strategies.
- [Media Training](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/media-training/) - Ace your media interviews with a custom toolkit to manage any situation with confidence.
- [Stakeholder Engagement](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/stakeholder-engagement/) - Turn stakeholders into advocates through understanding and addressing their needs.
- [Media Relations](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/media-relations/) - Inform, educate and influence the masses through strategic messaging and effective media relationships.
- [Government Relations](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/government-relations/) - Maximise your visibility and success with effective government relations strategies that are supported by an experienced and capable team.
- [企业咨询](https://sasgroup.net.au/?post_type=service&p=186) - 通过有针对性的企业对企业的咨询服务，抓住不同的商业机遇。
- [以跨党派的专长，洞察政治生态的瞬息变化](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/policy-and-research/) - 当事态发展到已超越您的控制范畴并影响您的正常运作时，政策和调研可协助您确立一个公开的议事日程，或获取一个竞争优势。但是，与政府参事和政要打交道，要是您自己来做，会是很复杂。它需要一些微妙的处理方式，以及专业知识和沟通能力。
- [媒体培训](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/media-training/) - 您在媒体采访中的表述直接影响一个事件将会如何被报道和讨论。 镜头前的一个欠佳用词，可能会瞬间终结您来之不易的声誉。一个成功的或令人失望的采访，取决于您还在影子处时如何为聚光灯下的采访做的准备。
- [风险和危机管理](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/issues-crisis-management/) - 通过能让您管控任何情形的策略，维护您的诚信。
- [利益相关方的参与](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/stakeholder-engagement/) - 通过理解和解决他们的需求， 将利益相关方变成您的倡导者。
- [策略传播](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/strategic-communications/) - 通过融会贯通的方法和切实可行的策略，抓住机会，缓和危机， 提升声誉。
- [Strategic Communications](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/strategic-communications/) - Seize opportunities and mitigate risks with practical communications strategies designed to protect and grow your reputation.
- [媒体公关](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/media-relations/) - 通过策略信息传递和有效的媒体关系，让大众知晓、理解并受到到影响。
- [政府关系](https://sasgroup.net.au/service/government-relations/) - 通过有效的政府关系策略，通过经验丰富并有实力的团队的努力，最大限度地提高您的能见度和成功.

## Sectors

- [<strong>资源</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/resources/)
- [<strong>科技产业</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/technology/)
- [<strong>健康产业</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/health/)
- [<strong>地产开发</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/property/)
- [<strong>建筑业</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/construction/)
- [<strong>金融业</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/finance/)
- [<strong>农业</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/agriculture/)
- [<strong>零售业</strong>](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/retail/)
- [Energy](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/resources/)
- [Agriculture](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/agriculture/)
- [Property](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/property/)
- [Finance](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/finance/)
- [Retail](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/retail/)
- [Technology](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/technology/)
- [Health](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/health/)
- [Construction](https://sasgroup.net.au/sectors/construction/)

## Team Members

- [Natasha Exelby](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/natasha-exelby/) - Natasha is a communications and public affairs specialist. She is nationally renowned for her ability to generate positive publicity and mitigate unwanted media exposure across a wide range of industries, from elite sporting bodies to ASX listed companies.
- [Paddy Hintz](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/paddy-hintz/) - Paddy has extensive experience providing strategic communication and government relations advice and support for organisations in Australia and overseas.
- [Hon. Bernie Ripoll](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/hon-bernie-ripoll/) - As a former Member of Parliament and Assistant Minister under the Gillard Government, Bernie played a leading role in far-reaching Australian financial sector reform.
- [Mitchell Collier](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/mitchell-collier/) - Mitchell has more than a decade of experience working across communications, media relations and politics. During this time, he has applied and honed his skillset across multiple roles in both the private and public sectors. Prior to rejoining the SAS Group in May 2024, he previously worked for the company for over five years in which he secured media coverage for clients in national and overseas press. He also assisted clients to engage governments at both the state and federal levels for successful outcomes.
- [Natasha Eric](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/natasha-eric/) - Natasha Eric has seamlessly integrated her skills into the SAS Group, excelling over the past two years. Starting as an Account Associate, she now serves as a Media and Communications Consultant, managing a diverse client portfolio.
- [Hon. Larry Anthony AO](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/hon-larry-anthony-ao/) - Larry takes a pragmatic and hands-on approach, passionately assisting corporate and private clients to achieve success and solve problems. With over 35 years of experience, Larry has extensive expertise in government, politics, business, and strategy. Before founding The SAS Group, he served as a Federal Minister in the Howard Government, worked as a stockbroker and investment banker with Potter Warburg and Merrill Lynch and held numerous non-executive directorships in both the private and public sector.
- [Johnathon Baque](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/johnathon-baque/) - Johnathon is a policy and business specialist with expertise combining policy, communications and business operations to advise clients through challenging and competitive landscapes.
- [Peter Costantini OAM](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/peter-costantini-oam/) - Peter has more than 25 years’ experience as an advocate for industry at state and federal level and has provided executive leadership for the private and not-for-profit sectors.
- [Malcolm Cole](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/malcolm-cole/) - Malcolm is highly regarded as one of the country’s leading media and communications consultants, working with major state and national clients across government, private and not-for-profit sectors for more than a decade.
- [Allanah Muckert](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/allanah-muckert/) - Allanah comes to the SAS Group with a rich and diverse background as a marketing, communications and brand specialist, spanning almost 2 decades working with some of the world’s most recognised retail and consumer brands. She knows what a business needs to stand out in a saturated market and gain cut through for success and growth.
- [Daniel Hobbs](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/daniel-hobbs/) - Originally trained as a journalist, Daniel has worked in politics and government, public policy, media, strategy and the NFP sector for more than two decades. His experience as a ministerial advisor, political strategist and press secretary ensures Daniel has a deep understanding of the workings of government, parliament and the media.
- [Winston Harris](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/winston-harris/) - Winston Harris joined the SAS Group in 2017, bringing high-level skills in public policy and administration, strategic development and management, and people and stakeholder management with a strong understanding of the value of personal relationships.
- [Nicolee Simpson](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/nicolee-simpson/) - Nicolee has spent more than two decades as a print journalist and editor in the UK, USA and Australia.
- [Inga Miles](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/inga-miles/) - Inga Miles has procured almost 25 years of experience in the disability and human services sector, with a career spanning both not-for-profit and corporate environments.
- [Desh Kongalage](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/desh-kongalage/) - Desh is an Associate who supports clients across a wide range of sectors. With a strong passion for stakeholder engagement and relationship-building, he is dedicated to educating and advocating on behalf of clients to achieve meaningful outcomes.
- [Douglas Hackett](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/douglas-hackett/) - With a background in theatre, having authored and produced original plays for national festivals, Douglas brings a strong narrative sensibility to political and strategic communication.
- [Desley Wharton](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/desley-wharton/) - Desley has decades of executive administration experience and puts her strong capabilities to use managing the SAS Group.
- [Max Evans](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/max-evans/) - Max Evans is a part-time consultant based in Melbourne, currently undertaking his Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne. He has a keen interest in the intersection between government, business, and politics, and prides himself on his pragmatic and hands-on approach to assisting clients achieve success and solve problems.
- [邱盛丽女士](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/victoria-qiu/) - Born in China and emigrating to Australia in 1996, Victoria brings considerable knowledge of Chinese business and political culture to the SAS Group.
- [Victoria Qiu](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/victoria-qiu/) - Born in China and emigrating to Australia in 1996, Victoria brings considerable knowledge of Chinese business and political culture to the SAS Group.
- [Natasha Eric](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/natasha-eric/) - A recent graduate in Public Relations and a former copywriter, Natasha has joined the SAS group as our Account Associate.
- [Paddy Hintz](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/paddy-hintz/) - Paddy has extensive experience providing strategic communication and government relations advice and support for organisations in Australia and overseas.
- [Winston Harris](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/winston-harris/) - Winston Harris joined the SAS Group in 2017, bringing high-level skills in public policy and administration, strategic development and management, and people and stakeholder management with a strong understanding of the value of personal relationships.
- [Hon. Bernie Ripoll](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/hon-bernie-ripoll/) - As a former Member of Parliament and Assistant Minister under the Gillard Government, Bernie played a leading role in far-reaching Australian financial sector reform.
- [Malcolm Cole](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/malcolm-cole/) - Malcolm is highly regarded as one of the country’s leading media and communications consultants, working with major state and national clients across government, private and not-for-profit sectors for more than a decade.
- [Peter Costantini OAM](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/peter-costantini-oam/) - Peter has more than 25 years’ experience as an advocate for industry at state and federal level and has provided executive leadership for the private and not-for-profit sectors.
- [Hon. Larry Anthony AO](https://sasgroup.net.au/team/hon-larry-anthony-ao/) - Larry has had a distinguished career in business and politics and is the Immediate Past President of the National Party of Australia.

## Case Studies

- [Piccalilli Catering](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/piccalilli-catering/) - THE CHALLENGE On Melbourne Cup Day 2013, Piccalilli Catering catered to about 40 client events around Brisbane. Within days, guests at multiple events fell seriously ill and one elderly victim died. The illness was caused by salmonella, traced to eggs purchased from a supplier at the Brisbane Produce Markets at Rocklea. Piccalilli's chefs had used
- [Lush Cosmetics Australia](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/lush-cosmetics-australia/) - THE ISSUE In 2018, Lush self-reported to the Fair Work Ombudsman that it had unintentionally underpaid more than 5,000 staff across its retail and manufacturing divisions over an eight-year period. Because of its high-profile stance on a number of social justice issues, LUSH was particularly vulnerable to criticism over underpayment of staff, many of whom
- [MATES in Construction](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/mates-in-construction/) - OPPORTUNITY MATES is a charity that was established in 2008 to reduce the high level of suicide among Australian construction workers. It has designed and implemented comprehensive, multi-modal suicide prevention programs across several Australian states. Their modus operandi is to unite sometimes competing advocacy groups, such as employers and unions, in a common purpose - to
- [Lives Lived Well](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/lives-lived-well/) - OPPORTUNITY Lives Lived Well was created in May 2012 when three key alcohol and drug service providers: the Alcohol and Drug Foundation Queensland, the Gold Coast Drug Council, and the Queensland Drug and Alcohol Council recognised the benefits of combining expertise and resources towards achieving a shared purpose. It runs a range of community and
- [Drug ARM](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/drug-arm/) - In February 2024, Drug ARM, a charity dedicated to addressing alcohol and drug challenges, partnered with The SAS Group to manage its government relations and event strategy for the organisation’s 175th-anniversary celebration. Drug ARM sought assistance in planning the celebration and increasing brand awareness of its services while also advancing its policy asks to secure
- [Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/australian-society-of-plastic-surgeons/) - The Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons is the largest peak body for plastic surgeons in Australia, and protects the integrity of plastic surgery as a speciality. THE PROJECT The Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (Surgeons) Amendment Bill 2023 was introduced to Queensland Parliament on 20 April 2023 with a reporting date of 2 June 2023.
- [Bengal Energy](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/bengal-energy/) - CHALLENGE Bengal Energy is an international oil and gas exploration and production company with assets in Australia’s Cooper Basin. The company has been a long-term industry player in both Canada and Australia, and is developing a reputation as an agile and innovative producer and explorer, specialising in the use of leading-edge technologies to maximise output
- [Rural Aid](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/rural-aid/) - THE CHALLENGE Rural Aid is a not-for-profit charity that provides financial assistance, fodder, and other agricultural products to farmers during times of crisis. In fact, more recently they have expanded their service scope to include the provision of mental health counselling services for rural and regional communities significantly impacted by disasters. Understanding the growing need
- [Master Electricians Australia - Standards Australia](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/master-electricians-australia-standards-australia/) - Problem/Opportunity Master Electricians Australia was gravely concerned by a series of proposed reforms to the operation of Australian Standards which will have far-reaching implications for the safety of the Australian public and the viability of many small businesses. Standards Australia was seeking a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Government to extend its monopoly
- [National Retail Association](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/national-retail-association/) - The National Retail Association is the voice of modern retail, representing more than 40,000 shop fronts nationwide. They provide representation and public advocacy for their members on matters of public importance to the retail sector. For more than 10 years, the NRA has trusted the SAS Group to manage its external relations – from government
- [Jewel Residences](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/jewel-residences/) - THE CHALLENGE The Jewel project, a joint venture between the world’s largest owner of commercial property, the Dalian Wanda Group, and one of China’s most successful developers, the Ridong Group, was built on the Gold Coast beach front south of Surfers Paradise. Wanda Ridong (Gold Coast) Development Pty Ltd engaged the SAS Group in early
- [Australian Automotive Dealer Association](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/australian-automotive-dealer-association/) - THE CHALLENGE The Australian Automotive Dealer Association (AADA) held serious concerns about a power imbalance between their dealer members and multi-national car manufacturers. These concerns hit a peak in 2020, when General Motors Holden (GM) suddenly exited Australia. GM terminated franchise agreements with 185 dealers, operating across 200 outlets and employing up to 9,000 people.
- [Basslink | Keppel Infrastructure Trust](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/basslink-keppel-infrastructure-trust/) - THE CHALLENGE Basslink operates the undersea sole electrical cable between Tasmania and Victoria. In December 2015, Basslink was subject to an outage that took place approximately 100 kilometres off the Tasmanian coast. The link was restored in June 2016. The outage resulted in a dispute between Basslink and the State of Tasmania and wholly owned
- [National Credit Providers Association](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/national-credit-providers-association/) - THE CHALLENGE The National Credit Providers Association (NCPA) members provide access to finance for approximately 2 million financially excluded Australians unable to access finance from a mainstream lender. Over the past four years there have been numerous attempts to amend the National Consumer Credit Protection Act. These attempts by politicians and advocacy groups aimed to
- [Batlow Apples](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/batlow-apples/) - THE CHALLENGE In early 2017 Batlow Apples engaged SAS Group to assist with a communications strategy to take the iconic Australian brand to the next chapter of our famous history. The Batlow Apples Board had made the difficult but necessary decision to demutualise the Co-operative and form a company. The proposal involved a capital injection from
- [Yili Group](https://sasgroup.net.au/case-study/yili-group/) - THE CHALLENGE China-based Yili Group turned to the SAS Group in March 2019 when the global food giant was seeking to acquire a major New Zealand dairy co-operative. Yili’s purchase of Westland Dairy Company Limited on New Zealand’s West Coast of the South Island needed to navigate a highly regulated transaction process made more complex

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