The Banksia Pod

The 2025 Federal Election campaign commenced with the first of many acts of political gamesmanship, when Prime Minister Albanese drove to the Government House on Friday morning to call the May 3 election, instead of the traditional Sunday visit.

From then on, mainstream media has been awash with punditry, puff pieces and predictions. But make no mistake, this in an election of vital importance to Australia and warrants nuanced inspection.

As such, over the coming weeks Banksia Strategic Partners will be flicking past the front page and getting into the weeds of the 2025 Federal Election campaign.

Host: Gordon Meredith, Associate - Banksia Strategic Partners

Guest: Steve Michelson, Founder and Director, Banksia Strategic Partners

Guest: Nicholas O'Connor, National Communications Director at IAF Pacific

If your organisation would like assistance in how best to communicate your message during an election window, please reach out via https://banksiastrategicpartners.com.au/advocacy-and-lobbying/

By-elections are often used by incumbent governments to test the temperature of electorates ahead of an election campaign proper. The 17% swing against Labor’s primary vote in the western suburbs seat of Werribee is clear feedback.The numbers, however, behind the yet-to-be-called race in Werribee, as well as the changing of the guard moment in Prahran, are more complicated than a flow of votes from one party to another.While Labor lost significant support in Werribee, most of the “swinging vote” was captured by a progressive left-block of minority parties. In Prahran, the primary vote of the Greens and Liberals remained steady, with preferences determining the outcome.Join the Banksia team as they discuss what these swings can inform us about how the electorate’s policy appetite and temperament is changing, and what they might mean for the upcoming Federal Election.

Join us for Banksia Strategic Partners' annual discussion about the “State of Social Media”.

Catch up on our previous ‘Cuppas’ via the following links: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠ /⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠

If your organisation would like assistance in how best to communicate your message during an election window, please reach out to us via⁠https://banksiastrategicpartners.com.au/contact/

Meta (the company that runs Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and a plethora of other social media apps) announced a series of changes to its content moderation policies and enforcement strategies that would, in essence, dismantle its system that protects against the spread of misinformation.

Catch up on our previous ‘Cuppas’ via the following links:

How does “Person Buys House” become front page news?

Whether it’s following global campaigns such as the US presidential race, or grassroots action like the local council campaigns currently underway here in Victoria, it seems that everyone at this moment has a case of election fever. 

The Sunshine State is next up on the election dance card and after a landslide victory to the Country Liberal Party in the recent Northern Territory election, and the LNP predicted to win back power in Queensland, many are monitoring the polls to see what they may predict for the upcoming Federal Election early next year.

Joining James Fitzpatrick and Gordon Meredith for a ‘Cuppa of Thoughts’ on the Queensland Election is Nicholas O'Connor, Managing Director @ INSIGNIS, whose campaign history includes experiences running campaigns in the UK, New Zealand, Namibia and now volunteering in Queensland

Nic joins to breakdown the key seats in play, the policy differences between the two major parties and what, if any, impact the Queensland Election will have on Federal outcomes.

Catch up on our previous ‘Cuppas’ via the following links:  Website: https://banksiastrategicpartners.com.au/podcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@banksiasp

If you organisation would like assistance in how best to communicate your message during an election window, please feel free to reach out to us via ⁠⁠https://banksiastrategicpartners.com.au⁠/contact⁠

#QLDVotes #AusPol ⁠⁠#StrategicCommunications⁠

It's the open secret of generative AI in the workplace - everyone is using it, (the 2024 Work Trend Index Annual Report estimates the number to be 84% of Australian workers) and most without a formal policy. If you're not already, now is the time to start thinking about your organisation's AI use.

#GenAI #ArtificialIntelligence #StrategicCommunications

After a week of legal jousting, the nationwide ban of X (formally Twitter) in Brazil has been upheld.

At the same time, the ‘Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society’ is currently exploring the decision of Meta to abandon deals under the News Media Bargaining Code, the important role of Australian news and public interest journalism in countering mis and disinformation on digital platforms, and broader issues relating to the influences and impacts of what Australians see on social media. 

And while the committee’s report isn’t due until November, public consensus is that social media continues to be a poor conduit for nuanced discussion and substantive political debate. Social media platforms, however, are more popular than ever. 

So how do we encourage more engaged communication on platforms engineered for tid-bits and headlines? 

This week, Banksia Strategic Partners' Director, James Fitzpatrick and Communications Specialist, Gordon Meredith join for ‘A Cuppa of Thoughts’ on the state of social media and explore how these platforms could be used for the social good.

If you organisation would like assistance in how best to communicate your message, please feel free to reach out to us via https://banksiastrategicpartners.com.au/contact/

One of the best performances at Paris was arguably by a someone who didn’t even win a medal. 

Sent to The City of Lights as NBC’s “Olympics Special Correspondent”, Snoop Dogg showed off his versatility attending everything from equestrian to track and field; gymnastics to rugby 7s and along the way helped NBC break their Olympic viewership record. 

But one of Compton’s most notorious rappers isn’t usually a go-to corporate brand ambassador, so why did it work so well? 

Join Banksia Strategic Partners' James Fitzpatrick (Director), Matilda Finn (Associate) & Gordon Meredith (Communications Specialist) as they discuss brand ambassadors and Snoop Dogg’s success over a cup of coffee.

Find out more about Banksia Strategic Partners brand ambassador work at: https://banksiastrategicpartners.com.au/services/

While global sporting events often try their hardest to highlight the on-field stories and avoid the off-field politics - for the world’s largest event, the Olympics, politics and sport are inextricably linked.

And at the 2024 Paris Olympics, they are linked by one topic in particular - environmental impact. 

Whether it’s France’s record breaking heat wave creating the need for emergency air conditioning units to be installed at the athlete village, unseasonal downpours turning Paris’ main river into a sewer, or the vegan friendly cafeterias running out of preferred proteins for its competitors after the first day of competition - throughout the first week of these Games, Paris 2024’s sustainability goals have come into conflict with the event's operational requirements. 

It’s created a flash point that draws us towards a deeper question - in a world where every sport has their own “world championship equivalent” - do we even need the Olympics anymore? 

This is a two-part series: What’s At Stake for the Olympic Movement?

In this episode, we explore what possible role sport (and in particular, the Olympics) can play as an agent for positive change.

And in Part 2, after the medal tally is complete and the Australian sporting gaze returns to the AFL and NRL finals tilts, we will analyse the potential legacy of Paris 2024, and what lessons it may have taught us for future global events, with a focus on Brisbane 2032. 

Our guest for this episode walks on both sides of sports sustainability tightrope. Rhydian Cowley is first and foremost a world class athlete in the discipline of Race Walking. Rhydian is a three-time Olympian, the captain for the Australian Athletics Team, and is fresh off a 12th place finish in the 20km Walk in Paris. Rhydian is also an Ambassador for the⁠ Sports Environment Alliance⁠, a member of the Sustainability Squad with the Victorian Institute of Sport and an employee at ⁠Bush Heritage Australia⁠. 

Rhydian joined Banksia Strategic Partners' James Fitzpatrick and Matilda Finn prior to the Games to discuss the role that major sporting events can play in impacting positive social change, as well as how sport can be utilised in campaigning for sustainable environmental initiatives.

The clean energy transition is currently one of Australia’s biggest economic challenges. To properly understand the task at hand, we must consider and review the entire energy supply chain; from raw materials through to power infrastructure, workforce, transportation, and end consumers.

Our latest episode of “What's At Stake?” takes a look inside the matrix of Australia's energy system, known in many circles as “the grid”. 

Our guest is Mervin Kall, Head of Grid at OX2 Australia.

OX2 is a renewable energy industry pioneer who are active in the global marketplace across several energy technologies. In the episode, Mervin leverages his and OX2’s experience across different countries trying to transition to help us unpack Australia’s current challenges.