Lynton Crosby
Lynton Crosby AO (born 1956)[1][2] is an Australian political strategist who has been described as a "master of the dark political arts," "the Wizard of Oz," "the Australian Karl Rove," and "one of the most powerful and influential figures in the (Australian) nation."[1][3]
In the 1980s Crosby advised ministers and the Liberal Party in Australia. From 1996 until 2004, he was campaign director for the Liberal Party in Australia's federal elections. In 2002, he set up consulting firm Crosby Textor with Mark Textor. In 2005, Crosby managed the Conservative Party's general election campaign in the United Kingdom, which did not succeed, and then ran Conservative MP Boris Johnson's successful London mayoral campaign. In March 2009, it was announced that Crosby would direct the Europe-wide Libertas campaign for the June 2009 European Parliament elections.[4] Libertas claims to be an avowedly pro-European party/movement/[citation needed] which is opposed to the Lisbon Treaty. Many of its critics, however, and many media reports refer to it as a eurosceptic party/movement.
He holds a degree in economics from the University of Adelaide and in 2005 was awarded the Officer in the Order of Australia (AO).
Contents |
Political career [edit]
In 1976, Crosby started his career as a market analyst with Golden Fleece Petroleum. Crosby commenced his political career as a research assistant in 1978 for Senator Baden Teague. In 1980 Crosby became Executive Assistant to the Hon. Harold Allison, then Minister of Education & Aboriginal Affairs. Crosby became Executive Assistant to the Hon. Martin Cameron MLC in 1992, then Leader of The Opposition In The Legislative Council in South Australia. Between 1986 and 1991 Crosby held a series of corporate affairs positions in the Australian private sector.
In 1991, Crosby became State Director for the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia, and in 1994 the Deputy Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia, serving under then Federal Director Andrew Robb, until replacing him as Federal Director of the Liberal Party of Australia in May 1997. Crosby set up "Crosby|Textor" with Mark Textor in 2002.
Crosby served as campaign director in 1996, 1998, 2001, and 2004 elections. In 1998, the government won with marginal seats (swing seats) targeted by Crosby. The election saw the smallest two party preferred margin win since 1949 estimates, on 49.02 percent. By the time of his departure, the Liberal party was out of power in every state and territory and lost power federally soon afterwards.
Crosby managed the Conservative Party's 2005 general election campaign in the United Kingdom, and also appointed to run (the successful) Conservative Boris Johnson's London 2008 Mayoral election campaign, at a cost to the party of £140,000 for four months of work.[5]
Crosby was involved in setting up CT Financial in 2006, an investor relations and financial communications specialist consultancy.
According to investigative journalist Nicky Hager, Crosby|Textor is also an adviser to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key. [1]
In November 2012, Crosby sued Defence Secretary Mike Kelly for libel for alleging on Twitter that Crosby had used push polling.[6]
Tactics [edit]
Crosby is described as favouring what is called a wedge strategy, whereby the party he advises introduces a divisive or controversial social issue into a campaign, aligning its own stance with the dissenting faction of its opponent party, with the goal of causing vitriolic debate inside the opposing party, defection of its supporters, and the legitimising of sentiment which had previously been considered inappropriate. This is also described as "below the radar" campaigning, with the targeting of marginal constituencies with highly localised campaigning, latching on to local issues and personalities.[1] To find such issues, Crosby's business partner Mark Textor runs focus groups to find which groups to target with what questions.[7] Crosby is said to run a tight ship, focus on simple messages, target marginal constituencies and use lots of polls.[8]
His tactics have included:
- During the 2001 Australian General Elections, Howard government ministers falsely claimed that seafaring asylum seekers had thrown children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage to Australia, and Howard, in the final days of the campaign, launched a slogan that later grew notorious: "We decide who will come into this country."[9]
References [edit]
- ^ a b c Brian Wheeler (16 November 2004). "Howard's wizard of Oz". BBC News (BBC). Retrieved 2 May 2008.
- ^ Watt, Nicholas (28 January 2005). "The Guardian profile: Lynton Crosby". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ "Pass notes No 3,171: Lynton Crosby". The Guardian. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Australian strategist to lead Libertas campaign. Irish Times, 24 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
- ^ Oliver, Jonathan; Oakeshott, Isabel (4 May 2008). "Onward Tory soldiers". The Times (London). Retrieved 12 May 2010.
- ^ Boffey, Daniel (12 May 2013). "David Cameron's head of strategy sues Australian minister for libel". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
- ^ Julian Glover (2 May 2008). "The Jeeves to Johnson's Bertie Wooster: the man who may have got him elected". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2008.
- ^ "Pass notes No 3,171: Lynton Crosby". The Guardian. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
- ^ Lees-Marshment, Jennifer (2009). Political marketing: principles and applications (1. publ. ed.). London: Routledge. p. 240. ISBN 041543128X.
