<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/oct/13/revealed-the-secretive-rightwing-firm-providing-clout-for-voice-no-campaign>
"Up the glass elevators on the 26th floor of 1 Bligh Street in Sydney’s central
business district is an empty room at the heart of the campaign against the
Indigenous voice to parliament.
This is the registered office of Whitestone Strategic, a “conservative campaign
consultancy”. According to some in Canberra, the company has close ties to
Advance Australia – the rightwing advocacy group behind the main organisation
promoting a no vote, Fair Australia.
Unlike Advance Australia, however, it doesn’t brag about its wins – or admit
its losses – preferring to keep its clients, and the staff who service them, in
the shadows.
Guardian Australia has searched for the secretive firm’s digital breadcrumbs
to reveal its ties to the no campaign, which hopes to sway how Australians will
vote on Saturday.
After a series of questions to Whitestone Strategic, the firm confirmed to
Guardian Australia it was “contracted” to Advance’s no campaign, run by Fair
Australia.
But Whitestone’s website provides little insight into how it delivers a
successful campaign, beyond saying it provides its clients “up-to-the-minute
technology and campaign clout”.
One example of its work, as has been reported, is Whitestone’s listing as a
manager for Advance’s Facebook page. In 2019-20, Australian Electoral
Commission election returns also show Advance owed a $23,605 debt to the
company.
Metadata, information released under freedom of information requests and email
addresses sighted by
Guardian Australia show there are more ties between
Whitestone, Advance and the no campaign than previously known."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
