The
year 2020 began with media articles discussing the possibility of the
recognition
of First Nations people in the Australian Constitution
and also a Voice
to Parliament.
This
was not new. People
had been reading of these issues at their breakfast tables since at
least the 1990s, many without realising that Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander peoples had been seeking long-overdue recognition, a
protection of their rights and equal treatment since the 1920s. All
of which had
culminated
in the 2017 Uluru
Statement
from
the
Heart - after which the Coalition Turnbull and Morrison federal governments repeatedly shoved the Statement into a corner of the room whenever questions were asked.
Although
Advance
Australia had registered
as an official significant third party in February
2019
(with
$2.4
million in seedmoney supplied by 16 donors).
The legal entity which underpins this organisation is Advance Aus Ltd formerly known as Freedom Aus Limited, registered in Queensland on 31 August 2018 and then moved to South Australia before landing in the ACT and now situated at Level 4, 15 Moore Street Canberra, CITY ACT 2601 since July 2023.
The original six directors have come and gone and now there are three:
LAURA JEAN BRADLEY;
MATTHEW PATRICK FRANCIS SHEAHAN - self-titled 'activist'; and
VICKI ANN DUNNE - former ACT Liberal Party MLA for Ginninderra electorate.
Thus registered corporation never has reported annual income of less than $1.3 to $2.8 million, according to the AEC Transparency Register.
Advance Australia been running political issue 'talking points' and campaign advertising ever since, it wasn’t until
2021-22
when
its xenophobia and prejudice began to be writ large that media
coverage had increased as had awareness.
By
the time 2022 came around with a firming of the political objective to hold a national referendum, it was obvious that Advance Australia had not just
political backing from right-wing politicians and committed culture
warriors like Tony Abbott, it had a
number of financial
backers with deep pockets. Pockets
which appear to be
financing
its referendum “No”
campaign
against the inclusion of an Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament
in the Australian Constitution.
The
Sydney Morning Herald,
15
September 2023, p.26:
One
of the calculated myths in the campaign against the Indigenous Voice
is the argument that the referendum is a contest between elite
insiders and ordinary folk because the case for change is powered by
the wealthy and the well-connected.
The
No campaign thrives on the "outsider" status it claims for
itself as a movement that speaks for those without money or power,
leading a cause that challenges the establishment by mobilising
voters who lack the advantages enjoyed by others.
But
the No campaign has an establishment of its own, full of people with
money, influence and connections as well as harbourside views. It
turns out that a transport company boss and a building materials
millionaire are among the donors behind Advance Australia, although
their names do not show up in the disclosures at the Australian
Electoral Commission.
This
is important when so little is known about the peak group behind the
No campaign, Advance Australia, and the activist group it has set up,
Fair Australia. These groups are secretive by design, but key facts
about the tactics adopted by some of their members emerged in this
masthead this week about the way they coached volunteers to use fear
and doubt rather than facts to defeat the Voice at the October 14
referendum. It is not suggested that any of the donors identified
below endorsed the controversial tactics revealed in the news
reports.
Advance
is a force to be watched in federal politics. If it succeeds in
halting the Voice, it could unleash its conservative activism on
other fronts even when critics accuse it of peddling falsehoods…..
Some
Advance donors are known because they are named in the group's annual
returns to the Australian Electoral Commission, or they lodge their
own returns about their donations, and some have declared their
support publicly, but that is not the case with all. Some of the
payments are made through private companies, so we searched company
records to find out who was behind the donations. This kind of
disclosure is not readily available to the ordinary voter.
So
who are its donors? The transport company chief is Brett
Ralph, founder and managing director of Jet
Couriers and a director of the Melbourne Storm football club as well
as other sporting clubs. His company, JMR Management Consultancy
Services, put $75,000 into Advance last financial year. He did not
reply to an email about his donations.
The
Sydney millionaire is Rodney
O'Neil, a member of a family that made its money
in building materials with companies like Australian Blue Metal and
Hymix, which was run by his brother, Colin. Companies linked to
Rodney O'Neil, with names like Nedigi and Sixmilebridge and based in
Double Bay, contributed $85,000 to Advance last year. He did not
respond to a request for comment.
Another
donor is Sam Kennard,
head of storage company Kennards, who has helped Advance over several
years. His company, Siesta Holdings, gave $20,000 last year and
$20,000 the year before. There was no response from Kennards about
this donation.
These
donors join some who have already been in the headlines for their
help for Advance - such as former health company chief Marcus
Blackmore, who donated $20,000 last year.
Blackmore is a public supporter of the No campaign. One of the
best-known donors to Advance is a former fund manager, Simon
Fenwick, who has backed the conservative group
for years. He and his wife, Elizabeth, donated $650,000 and $350,000
before the last election. The Fenwick family trust also donated
$50,000 last year. Earlier this year, Fenwick promised to match
donations worth up to $250,000 to Advance to help stop the Voice…..
[my yellow
highlighting]
Australian
Electoral Commission List of Individuals
&
companies donating to Advance Australia in
financial year 2021-22
Nedigi
Pty Limited (inaugural
Advance Australia Donor
2018-19),
Son
of property magnate Denis O'Neil,
Director
Rodney O’Neil
- $25,000
to
Advance
Australia
Sixmilebridge
Pty Limited
(inaugural
Advance Australia Donor
2018-19),
(Liberal
Party, Liberal National Party Qld, National Party donor) Company
Secretary Rodney O’Neil - $45,000
to
Advance
Australia
Willimbury
Pty Limited,(inaugural
Advance Australia Donor
2018-19),
Director
Colin O’Neil - $25,000
to
Advance
Australia
Silver
River Investment Holdings Pty Ltd (Liberal
Party, Liberal Democratic Party & Drew Pavlou Democratic
Alliance donor) Director Simon Fenwick, Institute of Public Affairs board member - $50,000
to
Advance
Australia
.png)
