<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/02/australian-institute-for-progress-anti-greens-election-ads-coal-australia-donations-ntwnfb>
"A Liberal-aligned thinktank running last-minute anti-Greens advertisements
targeting young voters received more than $600,000 from the coal industry
during last year’s Queensland election, disclosures show.
On Monday evening, the Australian Institute for Progress released a “Can you
afford the Greens?” video advertisement pushing claims, based on its own
commissioned research, that the Greens’ housing policies would lead to
increased rents.
Emails to supporters from the AIP executive director, former Queensland Liberal
vice-president Graham Young, seeking donations to push anti-Greens
advertisements show the campaign is specifically aimed at helping elect Liberal
National party candidates Trevor Evans and Maggie Forrest in the seats of
Brisbane and Ryan.
“We believe that with a properly-funded and targeted campaign we can reduce
[the Greens’] total numbers by 50%,” Young wrote to supporters.
“While other campaigns we have heard of are targeting older Greens voters … our
campaign bores in on financial self-interest – one of the strongest drivers of
behaviour – and younger, even first-time, Greens voters,” he said.
Queensland electoral disclosures show the vast majority of the Australian
Institute for Progress’s declared donations during the past year have come from
the coal industry group Coal Australia.
The lobby group gave $613,500 to the AIP in September and October last year,
before the Queensland election campaign.
The AIP’s return shows it spent more than $680,000 on the state campaign, where
it ran online anti-Labor advertising in close seats, including Capalaba and
Redlands."
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
