Bruce Hawker
Bruce Hawker | |
---|---|
![]() Hawker in 2010 | |
Born | Bruce Hawker |
Nationality | Australian |
Education |
University of Queensland University of New South Wales |
Occupation | political pundit, political writer, political consultant, political advisor |
Years active | 1982 - |
Political party | Australian Labor Party |
Website | http://www.candcgroup.com.au/ |
Bruce Hawker is an Australian political strategist, commentator and chairman of Campaigns & Communications Group, which he founded in January 2011.[1] Along with David Britton, he was the Chairman and founding member of Hawker Britton until his resignation in January 2011.[2][3] Hawker was the Chief of Staff to New South Wales Premier Bob Carr, a position he held for 9 years before resigning to establish Hawker Britton in April 1997.[2][3][4] Hawker has played a key role as a strategist on a series of election campaigns for Kevin Rudd; New South Wales Premier Bob Carr; South Australian Premier Mike Rann and Queensland Premiers Peter Beattie and Anna Bligh.[5] In 2013, he was appointed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Political Director.[6] He is the author of The Rudd Rebellion: The Campaign to Save Labor, published in November 2013 by Melbourne University Press.[7]
Education
Hawker has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Queensland and a Law degree from the University of New South Wales.[8]
Hawker Britton
In 1997, Hawker and David Britton resigned from their positions as Chief of Staff and Chief of Communications, respectively, to start Hawker Britton. When asked to comment about Hawker's resignation, Bob Carr joked, "After all, nine years is a long time to spend in a political office."[4][9] In 1999, Hawker Britton outgrew its office in The Rocks, relocating to a heritage post office building in Millers Point. It now has at least six Australian offices; an office in Wellington; another in New Zealand; and three international offices in Washington, D.C., London and Shanghai.[8]
Political work
Following the 2010 Australian federal election, a hung parliament resulted. Hawker led the negotiations with independents Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott which secured the incumbent Labor government led by Julia Gillard a second term.[10][11] In June 2013, Hawker was appointed Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's Political Adviser, a position he held until the Government's defeat in the Australian federal election, 2013 in September 2013.[12] Following the election, Melbourne University Publishing published his campaign diaries, The Rudd Rebellion: The Campaign to Save Labor.[13] News Corp Australia hired political editor Col Allan from New York specifically for election-related coverage.[14] A review of the press coverage commissioned by the Labor party found that the Daily Telegraph published negative press at double the rate of competitor Fairfax.[15]
Against the odds the Labor campaign led by Hawker resulted in Labor retention of 55 seats when 30 seats was the predicted outcome.[16] The campaign ensured that Labor avoided political annihilation and saw every cabinet minister returned to parliament.[17] Hawker is a regular contributor to the media, writing opinion pieces and editorials for The Sydney Morning Herald and frequently appearing in interviews on Sky News and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[2] When it was suggested that he was resigning from Hawker Britton due to the thinning out of state Labor governments, Hawker dismissed these suggestions saying, "We've always worked on the basis that Labor governments will come and Labor governments will go, we've always tried to assist in the election of Labor governments, but we are realistic and pragmatic enough to understand no government lasts forever."[18]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Kelly, Joe (7 January 2011). "Independents to discuss Cabinet reform with Labor strategist Bruce Hawker | The Australian". The Australian. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
- 1 2 3 "Bruce Hawker — The Drum Opinion (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- 1 2 Kelly, Joe (7 January 2011). "Labor PR guru Bruce Hawker spins off to new campaign venture | The Australian". The Australian. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- 1 2 English, Ben. "Carr's top two advisers resign" (PDF). The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ↑ The Rudd Rebellion, 2013
- ↑ Kelly, Joe (28 June 2013). "Bruce Hawker in Strategy Hot Seat | The Australian". The Australian. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ↑ MUP (5 November 2013). "The Rudd Rebellion | MUP". Melbourne University Publishing. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- 1 2 "Hawker Britton — Government Relations, Government Lobbying, Lobbyists, Campaigns, Strategies Consultancy". Retrieved 22 April 2011.; "Q&A, ABC TV". Retrieved 30 November 2011.
- ↑ Nason, David. "Senior staffers quit Carr office" (PDF). The Australian. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ↑ "Independents to discuss Cabinet reform with Labor strategist Bruce Hawker | News.com.au". News.com.au. 26 August 2010. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
- ↑ "Labor to form government". ninemsn.com.au. 2010-09-07. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
- ↑ Kelly, Joe (28 June 2013). "Bruce Hawker in Strategy Hot Seat | The Australian". The Australian. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ↑ MUP (5 November 2013). "The Rudd Rebellion | MUP". Melbourne University Publishing. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ↑ Tiffen, Rodney (15 August 2013). "Col Allan, Murdoch's $100 million man". http://inside.org.au. Swinburn Institute. Retrieved 17 September 2014. External link in
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(help) - ↑ Kenny, Mark (6 November 2014). "News Corp bias against Kevin Rudd showed up in independent study, diary reveals". http://www.smh.com.au. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 September 2014. External link in
|website=
(help) - ↑ Brenton Holmes (22 January 2014). Federal Election 2013: issues, dynamics, outcomes (Report). Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ↑ Hawker, Bruce (2013). The Rudd Rebellion. Carlton: Melbourne University Press. p. 207. ISBN 9780522864496. Retrieved 17 September 2014.
- ↑ Salusinszky, Imre (30 November 2010). "Lobbying founder Bruce Hawker branches out on his own | The Australian". The Australian. Retrieved 23 April 2011.