Coaldrake report: Next Level Strategic Services ceases providing lobbying services in Qld

A consultancy firm, whose Labor-aligned director helped on the Palaszczuk government’s 2020 election campaign, will no longer provide lobbying services in Queensland, following a recent report into the government’s integrity.

A consultancy firm, whose Labor-aligned director helped on the Palaszczuk government’s 2020 election campaign, will no longer provide lobbying services in Queensland.

Next Level Strategic Services on Tuesday informed its clients that it would be deregistering following Professor Peter Coaldrake’s recent report into the government’s integrity.

In a letter seen by The Courier-Mail, directors Cameron Milner and David Moore wrote that the company felt it should not only “implement the minimum changes to meet the requirement of the Coaldrake Review, but also be seen to embrace the principle fulsomely.”

A new company will instead be created and will continue offering services interstate – however it will not be known as Next Level.

“It will not offer lobbying services in Queensland and will not be registered on the Queensland Lobbyist Register,” the letter read.

“For those clients, which are the minority, that we currently provide Queensland lobbying services we will recommend a number of reputable service providers to meet your ongoing needs.”

Cameron

Prof Coaldrake, while not naming them, suggested that lobbyists who worked on the 2020 campaign shouldn’t be lobbying during this term of government.

Anacta Strategies’ Evan Moorhead and David Nelson, along with Mr Milner, worked on the campaign.

During that time, Mr Milner worked out of the government’s 1 William Street building in Brisbane’s CBD.

Following Prof Coaldrake’s report, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the three lobbyists would be banned from working with her government for the remainder of this term.

In their letter, Mr Milner and Mr Moore wrote that the new lobbying changes announced by the government were “unexpected given it is a retrospective application of a Coaldrake Review recommendation” and that the company had always sought to be compliant.

“Concurrently, David Moore – the other director of Next Level, and director of one of the two shareholding companies in Next Level Strategic Services has advised that he and his family will bring forward plans to move to a new stage of their work and lives,” the letter read.

“We have valued client input and understanding of the circumstances through our early discussions and taken on board a number of suggestions about how clients would like to work with us.

“While some client meetings are still ongoing, for all of these reasons above we have decided it’s best if ongoing services for you are delivered by a new entity and we should move relatively quickly.

“That new company, led by Cameron, will provide all the range of services including strategic advisory, campaigns and support your frontline engagement efforts that we agree with you as part of our discussions.”