News & updates

Australians think Donald Trump’s return will be a disaster – but millennial men disagree
As featured on the Herald Sun: The “bro vote” that powered Donald Trump to victory over Kamala Harris is also a factor in Australia, with new polling showing millennial men are far more likely to have a positive view of the President-elect.
The Talbot Mills Research poll, conducted in the week after the former president’s stunning US election victory, found 45 per cent of Australians thought his return to power would be a disaster and just 23 per cent believed he would be a good president.

Mark Reed likely to be appointed as new WA Labor secretary
From The West: Mark Reed likely to be appointed as new WA Labor secretary

Labour specialist agency Anacta opens in UK
Anacta, the Australia and New Zealand-based corporate advisory firm headed by individuals closely linked to the countries’ Labour parties, has launched a UK office.

Labour’s Australian guru to open first Starmerite lobbying firm
As featured in The Times: David Nelson ran the election campaign for Team Starmer. Now he hopes to bring it closer to the business world — and his clients

New poll says voters want housing supply over negative gearing changes, as Labor backs off reform
As featured on ABC News Australia: A survey of 1,000 people provided to the ABC and conducted by the firm Talbot Mills, which has previously done work for federal Labor and NZ Labour, shows there is fair support for changes to negative gearing and the capital gains tax discount, which can in combination give a substantial tax benefit to property investors.

US election polling shows troubling split between young men and women in Australia
As featured on ABC news Australia: New polling conducted by pollsters Talbot Mills Research has found Australians and New Zealanders would overwhelmingly support US Democratic nominee Kamala Harris in next week's election, with that support growing over the past few months of polling.

Australians are optimistic a rate cut could be on the way as the cost of living crisis continues to bite
As featured on ABC news: Australians are hopeful an interest rate cut could be on the horizon, taking some of the heat out of the cost of living crisis.
New polling by Talbot Mills Research has also revealed what items households have cut from their budgets as the impact of interest rates continues to hit the hip pocket.

Older Australians wary of paying more for aged care, poll shows
From The West: A majority of Australians nearing retirement say they personally do not want to pay more to receive higher quality aged care amid a bipartisan push to overhaul the system to ease pressure on the Federal Budget.
A poll of 1000 Australians by Talbot Mills Research held over the week before Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Aged Care Minister Anika Wells announced the plans found 58 per cent agreed with the principle that wealthier people would pay more, while 27 per cent disagreed.

How Anthony Albanese’s campaign blueprint could help Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump
As featured in the Courier Mail: At last week’s Democratic convention, an Australian strategist at the centre of both campaigns swapped notes with the operatives now trying to help the Vice President defeat Donald Trump this November.
David Nelson’s message to them was this: “You’ve got to be willing to try and win the argument that’s happening in the world, whatever that is.”

If Australians could vote for either Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, the result would be a landslide, says survey
Featured on ABC news: New polling conducted by consultant and pollsters Talbot Mills Research has found Australians — who won't get a vote in November — are overwhelmingly ready to elect Kamala Harris.

How Anthony Albanese helped Keir Starmer win his way to Downing Street
As featured in the Sydney Morning Herald: One Australian Labor figure who basically stayed behind in London was David Nelson, a right-hand man for Paul Erickson in 2022 and a veteran campaigner at state and federal levels.

Labour taps veteran Australian strategist for election campaign
From The Financial Times: David Nelson’s move to UK underlines ties between centre-left parties in Britain and Australia

Toucan play at the campaign game, John Oliver!
Comedian John Oliver might be crowing about his successful international campaign to get the Puteketeke voted Bird Of The Century in Forest & Bird’s poll in New Zealand.

Messaging is more than just words
As cost-of-living pressures increase to unprecedented levels, it is crucial for business leaders to recognize the profound impact it has on the lives of everyday Australians.

Jacinda Ardern never wanted to be Labour leader but she brought a better brand of leadership
During an extraordinary, turbulent time in NZ history, Jacinda Ardern may not have got every call right, but her legacy will endure. Just ask my 8-year-old daughter.

Mark McGowan’s former strategic director Mark Reed to head Labor-aligned lobbying firm’s WA office
From The West: Mark McGowan’s former strategic director will head the WA office of a Labor-aligned lobbying firm whose founders have been banned from working with the Queensland Government.

Inside Labor’s ‘no dickheads’ campaign for victory
From the Australian Financial Review: John Olenich, Penny Wong’s deputy chief of staff, led Labor’s media unit, while the ALP’s head of digital Kate Ryan continued in that role. Long-time Labor advertising consulting David Nelson provided strategic advice.