Dee Madigan’s Campaign Edge in secret deal to overhaul Queensland Building and Construction Commission

Labor campaigner Dee Madigan’s ad agency was recruited by the Queenland building regulator for an image overhaul in a deal struck by an ALP heavyweight.

Dee Madigan acted as the ALP’s creative director for each of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s election wins in 2015, 2017 and 2020.

Veteran Labor campaigner Dee Madigan’s ad agency was recruited by the Palaszczuk government’s embattled building regulator for an image overhaul in a secret deal orchestrated by an ALP heavyweight months after the last state election.

Right to Information documents reveal the Queensland Building and Construction Commission chair Dick Williams – a former Queensland Labor president – was intimately involved in securing Campaign Edge’s work on the $1.5m taxpayer-funded makeover in early 2021.

The role of the Sydney-based agency, which oversaw advertising for Annastacia Palaszczuk’s successful October 2020 re-­election campaign, was never publicly disclosed by the QBCC.

The contract was awarded to Brisbane communications company, Rowland – which is on the government’s official list of vetted suppliers – after an explicit referral by Campaign Edge at a meeting with Mr Williams.

QBCC’s board, headed by Mr Williams and including former Labor minister Robert Schwarten and CFMEU official Jade Ingham, then endorsed the plan, with Campaign Edge being subcontracted by Rowland in a deal worth $749,000 to the companies.

In February this year, QBCC’s procurement officer, Chris Melvin, warned in internal emails of the risks of the arrangement, which was rapidly getting more expensive.

“Whilst the original provider was engaged on a sole supply arrangement, I consider there to be considerable risk … (which) extends to justification for the sole supplier arrangement, the value of the work to be carried out … and the uncertainty posed and lack of documentation supporting the apparent subcontractor arrangement between Rowland and Campaign Edge,” Mr Melvin said.

Ms Madigan acted as the ALP’s creative director for each of Ms Palaszczuk’s election wins in 2015, 2017 and 2020, with electoral disclosure records showing the Queensland ALP paid Campaign Edge $1,170,066.30 in 2020.

The cost of the brand makeover contract blew out from an original $100,000 estimate to more than $1.5m, including about $800,000 for MediaCom, which buys advertising space.

The Australian understands Rowland also directed government work to Talbot Mills, the ­research arm of Labor lobbyist Evan Moorhead, who controversially ran Ms Palaszczuk’s re-­election campaign.

Mr Williams had previously been responsible for hiring Mr Moorhead to advise the QBCC on how to engage with its own minister, Mick de Brenni.

The documents show after the board endorsed Rowland, Alasdair Jeffrey, Rowland’s executive director, emailed QBCC’s then commissioner Brett Bassett to suggest a “kick-off meeting” in March 2021 with Campaign Edge managing director Stuart Gillies and Ms Madigan.

By February this year, there was a flurry of emails and confusion within the QBCC and to Rowland, trying to justify locking in Campaign Edge to produce the advertising campaign they’d created without putting a tender out to the market.

Mixed messages were circulating, including from Public Works Minister Mick de Brenni’s department, about whether Rowland could actually subcontract to Campaign Edge under government rules.

In a subsequent email, Mr Melvin, the QBCC procurement contract project manager, raised serious concerns as the costs blew out, warning companies other than Campaign Edge should be approached to quote for the media campaign.

But then-acting commissioner Richard Cassidy shut down Mr Melvin’s concerns, again seeking advice from Mr de Brenni’s department and warning the QBCC had already agreed to the subcontracting agreement with Campaign Edge in writing in February and March last year.

Campaign Edge came up with an advertising strategy that involved paying former contestants on building show The Block $70,000 to appear in three TV ads, one radio ad and digital versions, as well as posting six times in one year on their social media.

The RTI documents were released after a request by opposition MP Stephen Bennett, who said it appeared Queensland’s building watchdog was awarding contracts “by stealth”.

“While the Sydney-based Campaign Edge isn’t even a supplier listed in one of the Palaszczuk government’s existing whole-of-government standing offer arrangements, it still got the QBCC gig,” Mr Bennett said.

Mr Williams and Anacta declined to comment. Rowland’s Mr Jeffrey said: “All of our commercial arrangements with our clients are confidential.” Comment has been sought from Campaign Edge and the QBCC.

In March this year, an internal review revealed QBCC had not disclosed any contracts for two years, in violation of procurement policy. The data was updated and published without any mention of the Campaign Edge deal.