Collins behind niche lobbyists

Neil Shoebridge
Australian Financial Review
Monday 7 December, 2009

STW Communications Group and former NSW opposition leader Peter Collins have set up business to lobby the NSW Liberal and National Parties before the state election in March 2011. The new company, Barton Deakin, is predicated on Labor losing the election and has been set up - Mr Collins says - in response to demand from business. It is named after Australia’s first two prime ministers, Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin.

“Businesses with exposure to NSW government decision-making need to start planning for a change in government,” Mr Collins said.

Mr Collins, also a former NSW health minister and treasurer and one-time ABC journalist, will launch the venture, Barton Deakin, in the new year and predicts it will grow to become a Hawker Britton for the conservatives.

“They need to start talking to the future NSW ministers and decision-makers now about policy and commercial issues that affect them in the long term.”

Barton Deakin is STW’s third government lobbying business, but its first aimed directly at the Liberal National coalition in one state.

STW bought 70 per cent of Labor strategy and lobbying company Hawker Britton, which works for the Rudd Government and every state Labor government, in 2007. STW also owns the bi-partisan lobbying firm Parker & Partners.

Mr Collins, who was NSW opposition leader from April 1995 to December 1998, said Barton Deakin would be “openly aligned” with the Liberal and National parties.

“We’re happy to stand up and be counted for the coalition in the lead up to the 2011 election, “ he said.

The launch of Barton Deakin is part of STW’s strategy to establish – rather than only buy – new companies.

During the June 2009 half it set up three production companies: The Missing Link, One20 and DProject.

Chief operating officer Chris Savage said STW planned to start a sport marketing company in Melbourne and was looking at establishing new businesses in the research and retail “field” marketing sectors.

STW chief executive Mike Connaghan said Mr Collins’s 22 Years in NSW politics put Barton Deakin “in a highly-appealing position from a business perspective”.

Mr Collins quit politics in 2003. He has had various roles since then, including a director of superannuation fund Host Plus and Chairman of St Johns Ambulance NSW.

Executives from rival marketing services companies said the launch of Barton Deakin carried an obvious risk: Labor might win the 2011 election.

“Collins is a good operator and well-connected in Sydney,” said one rival. “It seems pretty safe to assume Labor will loose the election, but you never know in politics.”

The latest Newspoll research has Labor trailing the coalition 55 percent to 45 per cent after preferences. It was conducted before Nathan Rees was dumped as premier late last week and replaced by Kristina Keneally.